The cycle of violence in Plateau State has once again taken a deadly turn, with renewed attacks in several communities pushing the death toll to over 250 since 2023. Recent assaults in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas have left more than 50 people dead, raising alarm among government officials, local leaders, and civil society groups.
The most recent wave of violence struck communities such as Ruwi, Hurti, Daffo, Josho, Mangor, Tamiso, Tadai, and Rewienku. In Hurti, within Manguna District, over 40 people were reportedly killed. Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the area on motorcycles, shooting indiscriminately, looting foodstuffs, and setting homes ablaze.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attacks, describing them as a deliberate attempt at genocide aimed at displacing natives from fertile lands rich in agricultural produce and mineral deposits. “These are not reprisals. These are well-planned acts of terror targeting our people,” he said.
The governor noted a disturbing trend: communities are often attacked at the beginning of the farming season and again during harvests—deliberate moves, he said, to destabilize local livelihoods. He has renewed calls for the establishment of state police to better address the unique security challenges facing the region.
Echoing similar sentiments, Rear Admiral Samuel Atukum (rtd), former Military Administrator of old Plateau State, alleged that the crisis is driven by economic sabotage and land grabbing. He pointed to a recent press conference held in Kaduna by a group allegedly speaking on behalf of Fulani herdsmen, saying such declarations must not go unchallenged.
“How can someone speak after a massacre and make such statements, and we say it’s freedom of speech?” Atukum questioned, urging the government to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. He also called for the evacuation of armed herders occupying the hills and hiding weapons in rocky terrains.
The President of the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), Ambassador Nanpon Sheni, described the attacks as genocidal and aimed at making the state ungovernable. He demanded full-scale investigations and warned that attempts to take over ancestral lands would be met with stiff resistance.
“These routine, unprovoked attacks have turned our communities into war zones. Our people will not sit back while their heritage is taken from them,” he said.
As the death toll rises and fear grips local communities, stakeholders are united in calling for stronger, localized security measures, justice for victims, and an end to the longstanding violence plaguing Plateau State.
