Kwatas village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State was plunged into chaos on December 24, 2023, as armed men launched a brutal attack, leaving over a hundred people dead and several properties, including schools and farms, reduced to ashes.

Among the survivors is Ayokunle Oniyide, a businessman and educator who narrowly escaped the massacre.

Originally from Ogun State, Oniyide moved to Kwatas Village in 2015 as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. He fell in love with the community’s potential for education and farming and decided to establish a branch of his ACE Pyramid Academy while venturing into agriculture.

For nearly a decade, he thrived in the region, traveling occasionally to Lagos and Ogun State.

However, his dreams were shattered on Christmas Eve, when terror struck his village.

“At exactly 11:30 pm, I was almost asleep when I heard gunshots and screaming. At first, I was confused, but when I stepped outside, I realized my worst fears—our village was under attack,” Oniyide recalled.

“Panic set in as bullets tore through homes, forcing me and many others to flee into the surrounding bushes. I ran for my life, hiding in the bush for about three hours until the gunfire stopped,” he said.

By the time dawn broke and he made his way back, the sight was gut-wrenching. “Everything was gone; my school, my farm, my house. The entire community was in ruins, and lifeless bodies, including children, littered the streets. It was like a war zone,” he said.

The attack was not an isolated incident. According to Oniyide, this was the third massacre he had witnessed in Plateau State since his arrival in 2015. Among the missing was Daniel Mawang, a friend and employee who had worked with him.

“He wasn’t home that night, but after the attack, we couldn’t find him anywhere. I fear the worst,” he lamented.

The village leader, identified as James Mutfwang, who understood the language spoken by the attackers, revealed chilling details. “They threatened to return,” he warned, heightening fears of another deadly onslaught.

Residents of Kwatas have reported the attack to security agencies, but Oniyide is disillusioned by the government’s inaction.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve cried for help. Our security agencies have failed us repeatedly. If nothing is done, this country will no longer be safe to live in,” he stated.

Plateau State has been a hotbed of communal clashes and violent raids by armed groups, leaving thousands dead and displacing countless families over the years. Despite repeated calls for action, the attacks persist, raising questions abou security situation in the state and the government’s ability to protect its people.

For now, the people of Kwatas remain on edge, fearing that the attackers’ promise to return may soon become another grim reality.