At least 10 individuals have lost their lives, and numerous houses have been destroyed in fresh violence in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The area has been plagued by recurring clashes between herders and farming communities for several years.
Barrister Farmasum Fuddang, Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard, revealed in a statement on Saturday in Jos that “Last night, April 12, our community in Plateau state endured a tragic assault, leading to the brutal killing of at least ten of our members. Despite the presence of security forces, including the DSS, army, and police, the assailants, identified as Fulani terrorists, were permitted to carry out their atrocious deeds without consequence.
Fuddang stated, “Under the veil of night, over fifty armed terrorists invaded the villages of Mandung-Mushu and Kopnanle in Bokkos LGA, targeting innocent, unarmed, and peaceful residents while they slept. The attackers set ablaze homes and a place of worship, ruthlessly shooting down fleeing civilians, while nearby soldiers failed to intervene adequately.”
He remarked, “The audacious assault, primarily aimed at children, seems to be a deliberate attempt to sow fear and drive more displacement within our communities. We denounce this act of terrorism, which we perceive as part of a larger agenda to enforce Sharia law and seize control of our lands,” he emphasized.
The cultural leader clarified that mere hours before the tragedy, BCDC Vanguard had submitted a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS), contesting a leaked memo falsely alleging that the community was plotting violence against Fulani residents.
He emphasized that they clearly asserted that the information in the memo was fabricated and slanderous.
He further mentioned that despite attempts to correct these falsehoods, the security system fell short in safeguarding the community from the exact dangers that had been emphasized.
Mere hours prior to this heartbreaking event, BCDC Vanguard lodged a petition with the Department of State Services (DSS), contesting a leaked memo that wrongly accused our community of plotting violence against Fulani residents. We firmly declared that the intelligence backing the memo was false and slanderous.
Despite our endeavors to correct these untruths, the security mechanism faltered in shielding our community from the very dangers we had brought to attention. We are dismayed by the seeming prioritization of the safety of Fulani residents over our own and insist on receiving explanations from the authorities.
The timing of this assault, occurring shortly after the DSS issued an inaccurate warning of an imminent attack on Fulani communities, raises significant suspicions of collusion or intentional negligence. We reject such injustice and insist on prompt transparency and accountability.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that advance warnings of an attack in the region were disseminated and circulated at least a week before the purported intelligence from the DSS. The DSS disregarded these alerts and opted to implicate the victims, despite acknowledging in their memorandum that the Fulani were accountable for the six-day assault that resulted in the loss of over 300 of our members last Christmas.
We want to emphasize that the DSS alert mirrors the longstanding tactic of Fulani terrorists, who frequently raise false alarms to intimidate residents and/or rationalize premeditated attacks. Unless the DSS vindicates itself from this accusation, we consider it complicit and compromised.
“If the authorities do not provide satisfactory explanations promptly, we are ready to pursue legal action. We’ve had enough—we refuse to let our community be targeted and demonized while those tasked with ensuring our safety ignore the situation.”
Authorities have not provided any statement regarding the casualty count resulting from the latest assault in Plateau.
As of the time of compiling this report, Alfred Alabo, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Plateau State Command, had not replied to the calls and text messages sent to him by our correspondent.
