VIOLENCE has once again broken out in Plateau State, despite numerous assurances from authorities. A recent attack on the Zike community in Kimakpa, Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area, has resulted in the deaths of 40 individuals.
According to Wakili Tongwe, a community leader in Kwall, the assailants stormed the village in the early hours of this morning, firing indiscriminately as terrified residents fled for safety upon hearing gunshots.
Tongwe told newsmen that he, along with local vigilantes and security personnel, was patrolling a nearby community when the attack occurred.
Although security forces engaged the gunmen and eventually repelled them, the assault had already resulted in the deaths of 36 people on the spot, with four others succumbing to injuries later.
Several residents also sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
Security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the incident, which occurred less than two weeks after a separate attack in Bokkos Local Government Area claimed 52 lives.
Plateau State has long struggled with recurrent violence, often involving armed groups targeting communities.
During the 2023 Christmas celebrations, around 200 people were massacred in a predominantly Christian area. In May of the same year, roughly 40 people were killed and homes burnt in Wase town.
While experts often point to clashes between farmers and herders over resources as a root cause, Plateau State Governor Caleb Muftwang believes the violence runs deeper.
“I honestly see no other explanation than a genocide orchestrated by terrorists,” the governor had stated in an interview. “The critical question is, who is sponsoring and organizing these acts of terror? That’s what security agencies must uncover.”
Muftwang revealed that at least 64 communities across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local governments have been overtaken and renamed by armed groups who now occupy the lands.
In response to the escalating violence, the federal government has pledged to crack down on the perpetrators.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has also ordered the immediate deployment of tactical police units to the affected areas.