By Ayomide Otitoju
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Monday convened an expanded State Security Council meeting in response to renewed violence that claimed at least 51 lives in Zikke and Kimakpa communities of Bassa Local Government Area (LGA).
Held at the Council Chamber of the Government House in Jos, the emergency meeting brought together key security stakeholders to deliberate on the escalating insecurity in Bassa and Bokkos LGAs. The governor described the attacks as part of a disturbing resurgence of violence in the region and pledged swift action to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed.
Governor Mutfwang disclosed that over 100 armed assailants stormed the affected communities early Monday, launching coordinated assaults on innocent residents. “We are on top of the situation and will go to any length to forestall a recurrence,” he said.
The latest attack left 51 people dead and several homes razed. Governor Mutfwang is expected to provide further details in a state broadcast scheduled for Tuesday, April 15.
A community leader from Kwall, Wakili Tongwe, recounted the harrowing incident, telling Channels Television that the attackers struck in the early hours of the morning, firing indiscriminately at residents as they fled for safety. Tongwe, who was on patrol with vigilantes and security forces in a nearby community at the time, said the response team engaged the attackers and managed to repel them — but not before significant damage had been done.
“Thirty-six people were killed on the spot, and four others later died from their injuries,” he said. Several others were wounded and are currently receiving treatment in local hospitals.
Security agencies have yet to release an official statement on the incident. The attack comes less than two weeks after 52 people were killed in similar assaults in Bokkos LGA, underlining the fragile security situation in the North-Central state.
Plateau State has long grappled with violent clashes, often attributed to conflicts between farmers and herders over land and resources. However, Governor Mutfwang suggested a more sinister motive behind the recent attacks.
“I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists,” he said during a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “The question is, who are the people behind the organisers of this terrorism? This is what the security agencies must help us to unravel.”
The governor also revealed that at least 64 communities across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs have been forcibly occupied by armed groups. “They have taken over, renamed the villages, and are now living comfortably on lands they forcefully seized,” he lamented.
In response to the violence, the Federal Government has pledged decisive action. Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical police units to the affected areas, vowing to flush out the perpetrators.
The spate of killings in Plateau State has drawn national concern. During the 2023 Christmas celebrations, over 200 people were massacred in coordinated attacks, and in May of last year, about 40 people were killed in Wase LGA with homes set ablaze.
As the state reels from another tragedy, residents and community leaders continue to call for urgent federal intervention and sustained security presence to stem the tide of violence.
