The Plateau State Government has strongly condemned the recent unprovoked attacks that led to the killing of over 52 persons, including women and children, by suspected gunmen in Zike and Kimakpa communities in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area.
This latest assault comes barely a week after over 60 people were killed in Bokkos Local Government Area, marking another wave of violence in the State.
The attack occurred less than 24 hours after former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, visited Plateau State and decried the escalating violence in Bokkos and surrounding areas.
Obi had called for urgent and decisive measures to halt the bloodshed.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, described the attack as “one too many,” warning that the continued assaults pose an existential threat to the peace-loving people of the State.
“It is sad that less than two weeks after our people were massacred in Bokkos, this tragedy has repeated itself in Bassa. These attacks are deliberate attempts to puncture the fragile peace returning to Plateau,” she said in a phone interview.
While acknowledging the provocations, Ramnap urged residents, especially those in affected communities, to remain calm and vigilant. She reiterated the Mutfwang administration’s commitment to taking decisive action against any individuals or groups responsible for such heinous crimes.
She also discouraged reprisal attacks and urged security agencies to pursue and apprehend the perpetrators.
The National Secretary of the Irigwe Development Association, Danjuma Dickson Auta, confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, noting that the attacks began around 8:00 p.m., resulting in 52 deaths and numerous injuries.
Also confirming the killings, the President of the Irigwe Youth Movement and Chairman of the Coalition of Plateau Youth Ethnic Nationalities, Ezekiel Peter Bini, said the assailants, suspected to be Fulani militias, struck around midnight.
“What we witnessed was horrific. An entire family of eight was slaughtered in a single home. Many houses were also destroyed,” Bini lamented.
He expressed frustration over failed peace pacts with Fulani communities, saying, “We signed peace agreements, but they have proven worthless. The other side has never honoured their commitments.”
Eli Bako Ankala, Member representing Rukubu/Irigwe Constituency, visited the affected areas and described the attack as cowardly. He called for the establishment of security outposts in vulnerable communities, emphasizing that repeated appeals to both State and Federal governments have gone unanswered.
“The danger lies in pushing people to the brink. If the government continues to ignore these cries for help, communities may be forced to seek retribution,” he warned.
National President of the Irigwe Women’s Wing, Mary Dikva, highlighted the devastating impact of the ongoing violence on women and children.
“We are exhausted. These attacks have left over 570 widows in our community. The government must act now,” she pleaded.
Similarly, the Berom Youth Moulder-Association (BYM), led by Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, condemned the continued killings in Bokkos and Bassa. In a press statement, the group decried the systematic and premeditated massacres of innocent residents by suspected Fulani militants.
The BYM called for the immediate dislodgement of illegal occupants from lands across Plateau, asserting that such individuals may be complicit in recruiting bandits and terrorists.
“We demand a thorough crackdown on the perpetrators of these atrocities. They must be tracked, arrested, and prosecuted under the full weight of the law. We still believe in the capacity of our security agencies and the three tiers of government to bring justice,” the statement read.
