The massacre of more than 52 residents together with arson in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has attracted condemnations and outrage from Nigerians.
The Cable reported that some gunmen reportedly invaded Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti and Tadai communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state on 2 April, killing people and destroying houses.
Reacting to the unprovoked attack, President Bola Tinubu said that the gunmen who killed many people in communities in Plateau State would be apprehended to face severe punishment under the law.
The President extended his condolences to the families of the victims in Ruwi, Hurti, and Tadai communities in Bokkos Local Government Area and those from Manguna and Dafo villages, where the gunmen launched brutal attacks, resulting in the loss of lives and the destruction of properties.
A press statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) said ‘‘Tinubu commiserated with the Government of Plateau State and Governor Caleb Mutfwang, urging the affected communities to cooperate with the authorities and security agencies by volunteering information to catch the perpetrators and secure their communities.’’
He assured Governor Mutfwang of his support in ending this spate of wanton bloodletting on the Plateau.
The President directed the National Emergency Management Agency to work with state authorities to provide necessary support to the victims and bring immediate relief to the affected communities and those wounded during the attacks. NEMA will work closely with the state to ensure that affected communities rebuild and recover.
“The report of another violent attack in communities in Plateau State by mindless gunmen saddens me. The latest attacks on defenceless citizens are unacceptable. I have directed security agencies to hunt down the attackers, and they will face severe punishment when apprehended. These intermittent attacks should have no place in our country at a time when we are working so hard to restore peace and order in all parts of our country.
‘‘This unfortunate incident will never dampen and slow us down in our duty to protect every Nigerian citizen. Instead, we will work harder to exterminate forces of evil wherever they are lurking in our country.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and all those affected by this senseless violence. No community should have to endure such tragedy. We all must unite to foster peace and stability. I urge all citizens—regardless of ethnic, religious, or political affiliations—to uphold the shared humanity that binds us all, embrace peace and reject retaliation,” Tinubu stated.
The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory equally condemned the killings in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The Northern CAN commiserated with the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang and the people of the state over “yet another senseless bloodshed.”
In a statement by the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, the association expressed concern over “a disturbing and recurring culture of violence that continues to claim innocent lives across Northern Nigeria.”
“We condemn in totality this strange and evil culture of taking human lives. Hiding under religion, ethnicity, or any guise to unleash terror on communities is unacceptable. Our societal value for human life has dangerously eroded, and this must not be allowed to continue,” they said.
“This bloodletting must stop. We urge security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
“Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The pattern of mass killings and mass burials, repeated in different communities year after year, must be broken through firm and proactive measures,” the statement added.
They called on religious, traditional, and community leaders to rise to the occasion by preaching peace, unity, and tolerance among their people.
“The wanton killings across the country should not become a new normal. Nigeria must not degenerate into a nation where human lives are wasted without consequences. We must all rise and say, ‘Enough is enough,’” the statement added.
Also, Amnesty International and former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar have reacted to recent killings of residents of Plateau, North-Central Nigeria.
Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, expressed concerns about how “more deadly attacks have brought the death toll in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State to over 40 persons, with hundreds displaced, amidst fears of more attacks.”
“People of Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai have been repeatedly attacked and have been living in fear, always bracing themselves up for the next attack. Apart from killing people, the attackers also razed entire villages, deliberately destroying homes and farms,” the group said in a series of tweets on its X wall.
The human rights body said it documented an alarming escalation in attacks in Plateau state, where 1,336 people were killed between December 2023 and February 2024.
It said its findings revealed that many affected villages were in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas.
“Apart from the reported security forces’ failure to heed warnings or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities of #Plateau state feeling completely helpless and at the mercy of ruthless gunmen,” the statement added.
Similarly, Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential flag-bearer in the 2023 general elections, described the recent killings as “an unending gory story in our land.”
In his post on the incident via his X handle, the politician worried that Nigerians are “normalising mass killings and mass burials as a way of life in our nation”, with communities now living in fear and no longer have a livelihood either in their farms or in their markets, without being killed, kidnapped, and maimed.
“How long will these killings, kidnapping, maiming and criminality continue in our nation that is not at war? How long must we wait to act decisively and focus on this drastic situation that is crippling our nation? How many more must die before the government acts for the people?” Mr Obi wondered.
He said that a number of communities like Bokkos in Plateau, Jato-Aka in Benue, Eha-Amufu in Enugu, Ufuma in Anambra, and Aba Oyinbo in Ondo deserve government protection.
He called for an end to the incessant killings, describing them as “terror and extremely unacceptable.”
He said no Nigerian should live in fear as authorities must do what it takes to protect the citizens.
“The government and security agencies must ensure that these killings are stopped, concrete steps are made to prevent future occurrences, and those arrested face the justice they deserve,” he said.
Also condemning the attack, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria and the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, blamed the issue on the weak security system under President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the failure of Mr Tinubu’s security architecture has now become an endemic nationwide phenomenon with repeated killings, more of which do not even make the headlines.
“I wish to restate my counsel to the Tinubu-led FG to reconfigure its security architecture to meet the needs of protecting the lives and properties of our people,” he wrote in a statement signed by him.
Recall that armed men killed scores when they invaded several communities in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State on 2023 Christmas Eve.
About a week later the Nigerian Senate summoned the-then Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of State Security Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, over the killings.
The summons was sequel to a motion sponsored by Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) at one of the plenaries of the country’s legislative chamber.
