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Unchecked Killings Deepen Tensions in Bokkos, Plateau State
Unchecked Killings Deepen Tensions in Bokkos, Plateau State
By: Zagazola Makama
A disturbing pattern of targeted killings against members of the Fulani community in Bokkos and neighbouring parts of Plateau State is deepening distrust, inflaming ethnic tensions, and sustaining a cycle of deadly reprisals that security agencies appear unwilling or unable to break.
Recent incidents reveal an alarming consistency: no Fulani man or woman can pass through certain villages in Bokkos without facing attack, community leaders say. To many in these areas, every Fulani is presumed a terrorist, a dangerous stereotype that has led to repeated bloodshed and a collapse of trust between communities.
On Monday, another attack was reported in Barr community, Bokkos LGA, where two herders and nearly ten cows were killed. As with most incidents of this kind, no arrests have been made, and there has been no condemnation from Plateau State authorities.
On July 10, 2025, Usman Maguna, a Fulani man from Bokkos LGA, was reportedly attacked and killed while passing through Jebbu. Two days later, on July 12, a respected cleric, Malam Haruna Bangai, and his wife from Barkin Ladi were also killed in the same community.
According to Fulani leaders, a formal complaint was lodged to the police “They told us there was nothing they could do,” one community elder said. “When people are told this repeatedly, frustration builds and reprisals happen.”
Critics say the Plateau State Government, traditional rulers, and local media operate under a dangerous double standard: attacks on Fulani are ignored or downplayed, while reprisals are loudly condemned and labelled as terrorism.
Victims say the governor has never visited Fulani families after such killings, never paid compensation, and never openly condemned the violence allegedly to avoid being branded a “sellout” by his political base.
More troubling are claims that perpetrators arrested for killing Fulani are routinely released under political pressure. In one recent case, the governor was reportedly heard on television instructing security agencies to release suspects caught in acts of violence.
Authorities’ failures, selective justice, and political inaction are creating the perfect conditions for retaliation. Once an attack occurs, reprisals follow, leading to fresh casualties and further entrenching hostility.
When members of the Fulani community speak out about these attacks, they are often met with anger, and public debate quickly devolves into arguments over which side has lost more lives, a framing that obscures the real issue.
“This is not about comparing death tolls,” said a Fulani elder in Bokkos. “It’s about the state’s refusal to act when innocent lives are taken. That refusal is what fuels the violence.”
The picture that emerges from Bokkos is one of systemic neglect, silent complicity, and a conflict that is perpetuated by the very institutions meant to prevent it. The absence of justice for one community all but guarantees revenge attacks, a grim cycle that, without decisive and impartial intervention, will continue to claim lives on both sides.
Until the conspiracy of silence is broken, Plateau State’s leaders will have to answer an uncomfortable question: how many more will die before justice is allowed to work for all?
Unchecked Killings Deepen Tensions in Bokkos, Plateau State
One killed, three injured as gunmen attack farmers in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the death of one person and injuries to three others following an attack by suspected Fulani militias on Kopmur village, Mushere District, Bokkos Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Oct. 22 at about 4:00 p.m., when the armed assailants stormed a house where some local farmers had taken shelter and opened fire.
The attack led to the death of Dashan Mwanar, 42, while Sonma Mwanar, 32, Kyenkyes Dakup, 26, and Joy Vumshak, 25, sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Bokkos Division, led a team to the scene, where the injured victims were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.
The police said the deceased’s remains had been released to his relatives for burial after the family declined an autopsy.
Meanwhile, sources assured that investigation is ongoing, with intensified efforts to apprehend the culprits and prevent further attacks in the area.
One killed, three injured as gunmen attack farmers in Plateau
FCT Police, vigilantes comb bushes to rescue abducted school principal, daughter in Abuja
By: Zagazola Makama
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has intensified search and rescue operations following the abduction of a school principal and his daughter in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Oct. 22, 2025, at about 3:00 a.m., when a group of armed kidnappers invaded the residence of Mr. Zakari Yelwa, Principal of Narati Government Secondary School, located opposite the Technical College, Abaji.
The assailants reportedly forced open the door to the residence and abducted Mr. Yelwa and his daughter, Hafsat Zakari, to an unknown destination.
Upon receipt of the distress call, a combined team of police operatives, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, vigilante groups, and local hunters was immediately deployed to the scene.
The team has since launched a coordinated search operation, combing the surrounding bushes and hills in a bid to rescue the victims and apprehend the kidnappers.
Police authorities assured residents of Abaji that all efforts are being made to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and urged the public to report any useful information that could aid the ongoing operation.
FCT Police, vigilantes comb bushes to rescue abducted school principal, daughter in Abuja
Soldier found dead after chasing attacker in Kwara
By: Zagazola Makama
A Nigerian Army personnel has been found dead after pursuing an assailant in Twatagi village, Patigi Local Government Area of the state.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Oct. 21, 2025, around 5:30 p.m., when the deceased soldier, Private Usman Alhaji attached to Apapa, Lagos, was riding on a motorcycle with one Muhammad Baba, a native of Twatagi village.
While on their way to Patigi town, they encountered a man walking along the road with a stick, who suddenly struck them as they passed by. The man immediately fled into the bush.
The sources stated that Private Alhaji pursued the assailant on foot but failed to return. After waiting for hours without seeing him, Muhammad Baba reportedly searched the area but could not locate the soldier.
However, at about 2:00 p.m. the following day, villagers discovered the lifeless body of the soldier in the bush.
Police operatives visited the scene and observed that the victim sustained a stab wound to the neck.
The body was released to the family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites, while efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
Soldier found dead after chasing attacker in Kwara
Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care
One killed, three injured as gunmen attack farmers in Plateau
Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community
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