Gov Mutfwang declares war on terror as 51 killed in Plateau massacre

A wave of violence has again rocked Plateau State as at least 51 people were killed in coordinated attacks on Zikke and Kimakpa communities in the Bassa Local Government Area.

The assault, which occurred early Monday morning, April 14, prompted Governor Caleb Mutfwang to convene an emergency expanded state security council meeting at the Government House in Jos.

Speaking after the meeting, Mutfwang condemned the massacre and pledged firm action.

“We are on top of the situation and will go to any length to forestall a recurrence,” he said, vowing not to relent until peace is restored across the state.

According to Wakili Tongwe, a Kwall community leader, the attackers—numbering over 100—stormed the villages at dawn, shooting indiscriminately as residents fled.

“We were patrolling a nearby area with vigilantes and some security men when the attack happened,” Tongwe said, adding that though the security team eventually repelled the attackers, 36 people were found dead at the scene, with four more dying later from injuries.

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Several others were wounded and are currently receiving treatment in hospitals. The assailants also razed multiple homes in the coordinated strike.

This attack comes less than two weeks after 52 lives were lost in nearby Bokkos LGA, highlighting a worsening security crisis in the North-Central state.

Plateau has long been a flashpoint for deadly clashes, often attributed to tensions between farming communities and nomadic herders.

Alleged sponsored genocide

However, Governor Mutfwang believes the violence now transcends resource conflicts.

“I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists,” he said during a recent interview on Channels Television.

“The question is, who are the persons behind the organisers of this terrorism?”

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He revealed that 64 communities across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs have been overtaken by armed groups.

“They have been taken over, renamed, and people are living there conveniently on lands they pushed others away from,” Mutfwang said.

The Federal Government has since promised a crackdown, with Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun ordering a “comprehensive deployment of police tactical assets” to the affected regions. Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest attack.