Published 17th Apr, 2024

By Emmanuel Uti

Communities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State are experiencing unrest as gunmen identified by locals as Fulani herders have returned in full force to renew their destructive campaign.

FIJ learned that between Thursday and Tuesday, more than 30 locals lost their lives to the attacks, while many women and children fled to other areas.

A Bokkos resident who asked not to be named told FIJ that four natives protecting a part of the Ghatingut village in the Mbar district of Bokkos were shot to death by the Fulani herders on Sunday.

He said the attackers also killed one person in Wumat and extended their destruction to places like Kawel and Butura Kampani.

“There was an attack at Butura Kampani on Monday. As a result, the women of the area came out to protest inside the town, stating that they wanted their leaders to do something about the attacks because they were tired,” he told FIJ.

“Inside Bokkos town, you’d hear gunshots in different locations almost every night. Now, there are plenty of cows around Bokkos town, and we don’t know why they are there.”

Another source, who spoke to FIJ, said that as a result of the fresh killings, natives of Bokkos LGA and some locals from Mangu LGA are going about Bokkos to evict Fulani people from their villages.

The source said that this has led to the killings of some Fulani people. They added that some two weeks ago, the locals evicted the Fulanis in some communities in Bokkos LGA.

When contacted, Alfred Alabo, the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), declined to comment on the matter. A follow-up text was sent, but more than 18 hours later, he has not responded.

In recent times, there’s been unrest in Kuteng, Bokkos; Kopnanle, Mangu and around the borders of Bokkos LGA. In January, scores of people were killed on their farms in Miyanga. Between December 23 and December 26, more than 160 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Bokkos and Mangu LGAs.

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