Thirteen people, mostly children and the elderly, were gruesomely killed and over twenty houses set ablaze in fresh attacks by suspected herdsmen on Juwan and Manja communities in Plateau State’s Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas.
The attack on Juwan, located in Tangur District of Bokkos LGA, occurred late Thursday night. Ten people were confirmed dead while several others sustained life-threatening injuries. Most victims, according to authorities, were the aged and children who could not flee in time.
Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Council, Amalau Samuel, confirmed the incident, describing it as “barbaric and inhuman.”
“The attackers came late at night and started killing innocent people. They moved from house to house, breaking into homes—even through the ceilings—when doors resisted entry,” Samuel said. “Those who couldn’t escape—mostly elderly people and children—were mercilessly slaughtered.”
In a separate but coordinated attack earlier on Thursday evening, three persons were killed on a farm in Manja, Chafem Chiefdom of neighbouring Mangu LGA. The victims were working on their farmland when the armed assailants struck. Others narrowly escaped death after security operatives responded to a distress call.
A reprisal invasion occurred later in the day in Manja, during which the attackers razed over 20 houses. No deaths were recorded in the second wave, but hundreds of villagers were displaced as they fled their homes in panic.
Hon. Mathew Kwarpo, who represents Mangu South in the Plateau State House of Assembly, condemned the repeated attacks and lamented the growing insecurity in the region.
“This is a calculated attempt to seize and illegally occupy our land,” Kwarpo said. “The security personnel are doing their best, but the attackers are too many and too well-armed.”
Kwarpo called on both the Plateau State Government and President Bola Tinubu’s administration to urgently intervene and stem the tide of bloodshed in the area.
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“Each time these criminals issue threats, they follow through,” he added. “Our people are being hunted like animals. We need decisive federal action to reclaim peace in our land.”
The recent violence adds to a wave of deadly assaults in Plateau’s central belt, particularly in Bokkos, Bassa, and Mangu LGAs, where suspected herdsmen have launched repeated attacks on farming communities in recent months, leaving trails of death and destruction.
As of press time, security operatives have been deployed to the affected areas, but tension remains high, and thousands remain displaced.
First News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as they unfold.