More than 50 killed in renewed attack on Plateau communities

Fifty-two people, including minors, have been reported dead in coordinated attacks on some communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

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Although Bokkos has witnessed a series of violence, including the 2023 Christmas Eve attack that claimed more than 100 lives, the recent attacks started on 28 March when suspected cattle herders killed 10 mourners in Ruwi community.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the assailants raided at least six villages — Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai — killing and razing houses as well as foodstuffs.

Some victims of the renewed violence have been given a mass burial while locals continued to search nearby bushes for people still missing.

The Chairperson of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang, told journalists on Friday that 31 people were given a mass burial on Thursday. According to him, five minors were burnt to ashes in Hurti village, while 11 others were killed in Ruwi.

Mr Fuddang added that four people were killed in Manguna and one other in Dafo.

‘Suspects arrested’

While the Plateau Police Command is yet to issue an official statement about the raids, the state government said some suspects have been arrested.

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When contacted, Alfred Alabo, the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, declined to comment. He told our reporter to wait for an official statement.

However, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, revealed that security agencies deployed to the area arrested some suspects.

Ms Ramnap, who disclosed this in a statement, said the arrest “will hopefully help in stemming the tide of this ugly situation.”

“Governor Caleb Mutfwang and his administration remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Plateau residents,” she said.

Noting that the governor had deployed strategic measures to enhance intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response mechanisms in collaboration with security operatives, the commissioner urged residents to cooperate with “law enforcement to facilitate the identification and apprehension of those responsible for these heinous acts.”

She also advised residents to “exercise restraint and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International, in a statement posted on Facebook, has called on Nigerian authorities to “end bloodshed” in the North-central state.

The group estimated that 1,336 people were killed between December 2023 and February 2024 in the resurgence of violence in places like Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi LGAs.

In early 2023, climate change-induced violence erupted in Mangu, pitting the Fulani herding and Mwaghavul farming communities against each other. More than 300 people died in the violence, according to an investigation by WikkiTimes, a grassroots newspaper in neighbouring Bauchi State.

READ ALSO: Amnesty International, ex-presidential candidates react to Plateau killings

The 2023 Christmas Eve attack in Bokkos followed the Mangu violence. The violence later escalated to Barkin Ladi.

“Apart from the reported security forces’ failure to heed warnings or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities of Plateau State feeling completely helpless and at the mercy of ruthless gunmen,” Amnesty said and called on Nigerian authorities to “independently investigate all these deaths and ensure accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Amnesty added that the spate of killings was evidence of the failure of authorities to protect the people.