The number of people killed in the recent attacks on communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has risen to 52, local authorities confirmed on Friday, April 4.
The Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard, Farmasum Fuddang, said mass burials were conducted for 31 victims on Thursday.
He revealed that five underaged victims were burnt to ashes in Hurti village, while 11 people were killed in Ruwi, four in Manguna, and one in Daffo village.
Fuddang also noted that the search for missing persons was still ongoing in Hurti and Mbar villages.
In response, the Plateau State Government condemned the renewed violence and appealed for calm. Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, described the killings as a blow to recent security gains in the area.
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“Security agencies have deployed and dominated these areas to ensure normalcy returns at the shortest possible time,” she stated.
“Additionally, important arrests have been made by the security agencies and this will hopefully help in stemming the tide of this ugly situation.”
Ramnap urged residents to avoid retaliation and rely on the government’s strategic interventions, which include enhanced surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid response efforts in collaboration with security forces.
She also called on religious, traditional, and community leaders to champion peace and lawful conduct, assuring that the state remains committed to pursuing justice.
The Bokkos killings come amid heightened tensions in Plateau State following the December 2023 massacre that claimed around 200 lives during Christmas festivities in a majority-Christian community. In May 2023, another 40 people were killed in Wase.