In Nigeria: Plateau State Under Siege, Multiple Fatalities Reported in Recent Attacks.

 

Recent attacks in the Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, located in Nigeria's North-Central region, have left over 50 people dead and thousands displaced. Governor Caleb Muftwang has condemned these assaults, labeling them as sponsored acts of genocide aimed at eradicating communities within the state.

The governor expressed his outrage during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stating that the violence has been orchestrated by unnamed terrorist groups. He emphasized that the scale and brutality of the attacks suggest a coordinated effort rather than mere local conflict. “I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists,” Muftwang stated, urging security agencies to identify the individuals or groups behind these orchestrated acts of violence.

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The recent violence forms part of a troubling pattern in Plateau State, which has experienced similar brutal attacks in the past. While there are often arguments that conflicts in the region arise from competition over resources between farmers and herders, Muftwang argued that the current assaults represent a deeper, more insidious form of terrorism.

He reported that approximately 64 communities have been overtaken by bandits, with villagers forced to flee and their lands forcibly occupied. “As I am talking to you, there are not less than 64 communities that have been taken over by bandits on the Plateau between Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas,” he explained, underscoring the severity of the situation.

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See also:In Nigeria : Yusuf Alabi, a 15-year-old boy's Detention Sparks Outrage in Nigeria.

Tensions have escalated since a devastating attack during Christmas 2023, which claimed the lives of nearly 200 people in a predominantly Christian village. Additionally, another mass killing occurred in May of the previous year, when around 40 individuals lost their lives in Wase.

In response to the recent violence, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited the affected areas earlier this week, promising to take decisive action to halt the killings in Plateau State.