Six killed, several injured in fresh attack in Bokkos, Plateau State

No fewer than six people were said to have been killed in Daffo community of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State last night (Tuesday, September 4) by rampaging herdsmen.

Our correspondent gathered that the latest incident followed weeks of isolated attacks, which have so far claimed 16 lives.

The rampaging herdsmen were said to have ransacked Kwatas and Daffo simultaneously around 7 pm on Tuesday destroying farmlands and crops.

These attacks were said to have been perpetrated despite the presence of military men stationed in those areas.

Local sources say the attack started from a commercial area west of the town, known as Congo, just 300 yards from a military base, according to residents speaking to an online media TruthNigeria.

The attack was said to have persisted for at least two hours, according to the news medium.

Zakka Akos, a former council chairman said armed men believed to be Fulani militants launched the attack, targeting civilians in the market area.

A contingent of soldiers was said to have arrived at the scene at 9:30 pm to repel the attack, but the extent of their response is unclear, Akos was quoted to have said.

“I hear two people have been confirmed killed but I am still trying to reach those in the town because I hear there could be more,” Akos said.

Other residents have multiple fatalities, including a family of seven.

“They have killed my brothers again,” said a distraught Ms. Abigail Machief, who lost her younger brother in a similar attack last year.

“All my brothers and nephews, all killed, ” she told TruthNigeria.

Chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Barr. Farmasum Fuddang, who confirmed the attacks in a statement on Wednesday, said that at least 30 murders and over 1,000 crop farm destructions have occurred since May 2024 despite the Nigerian military’s peace agreements.

The statement said: “The Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard is deeply saddened by the resurgence of deadly attacks by Fulani terrorists targeting ethnic minorities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Despite the Nigerian military’s peace agreements, at least 30 murders and over 1,000 crop farm destructions have occurred since May 2024.

“We feel betrayed by those responsible for our protection. Six of our members are lying dead, victims of the latest assaults in Daffo and Kwatas communities. These attacks, executed simultaneously on September 3, followed a week of isolated attacks resulting in 16 deaths.

“The latest attack in Daffo started around 7 pm, targeting peaceful residents in a commercial area near a military base. The Fulani-speaking terrorists launched a brazen attack, leaving at least six people dead. While we credit the new Sector Commander of the Special Task Force Operations Safe Haven in Bokkos for responding to the attack, we call for an investigation into the role of the soldiers manning the nearby base.

“These attacks confirm our previous fears that the Fulani are not to be trusted. Our people have never launched attacks on Fulani residents, yet we have been subjected to consistent armed attacks since 2013, resulting in over 500 deaths and the forced annexation of our communities.

“We demand answers and swift action from those responsible. We call on the international community to rise up and demand justice for our people. We demand adequate compensation for those who have suffered violence and the dislodging of terrorist camps in the area.”