From Terhemba Daka (Abuja), Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi (Jos), Rotimi Agboluaje (Ibadan) and Silver Nwokoro (Lagos)
The death toll from Sunday night’s brutal attack on Zike hamlet in Plateau State has risen to 52, jolting the nation and forcing PDP governors to demand an urgent and comprehensive review of Nigeria’s failing security strategies.
As terror sweeps across Plateau, Borno and others, the governors warned that the unchecked violence is fast becoming a national emergency; one that threatens to consume vulnerable communities while government action remains painfully slow and inadequate.
Speaking at the end of a closed-door meeting held yesterday in Ibadan, the governors, under the aegis of the PDP Governors’ Forum, expressed deep concern over what they described as the worsening security situation in parts of the country.
The meeting took place in the Conference Room of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan. Addressing journalists after the meeting, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who read the communique on behalf of his colleagues, urged the Federal Government to adopt a bottom-up approach that empowers sub-national governments to play an effective role in combating security threats.
“The Forum finds alarming the worsening security situation, as evidenced in parts of the country, especially Borno, Plateau, Katsina and Edo States,” he said.
“The Forum calls for a review and reordering of priorities and strategies, including adopting a bottom-up template that guarantees the sub-nationals to constitute an effective line of defence against security breaches.”
The governors also condemned recent attacks in Plateau State and sympathised with victims who suffered losses during the violence. Governors in attendance included Ahmad Fintiri (Adamawa), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
Also present were the Deputy Governors of Akwa Ibom and Delta States, Akon Eyakenyi and Monday Onyeme, who represented Governors Umo Eno and Sheriff Oborevwori, respectively.
Reacting to Sunday night’s attack on Zike hamlet in Kimakpa community, Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Council of Plateau State, residents and community leaders described the killings as senseless and tragic, urging federal and state authorities to urgently implement sustainable security structures in vulnerable parts of the state.
Eli Ankala, who represents Rukuba/Irigwe Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, described the incident as cowardly and expressed deep frustration over what he called continued government inaction.
“We have consistently called on both state and federal governments to establish security outposts in at-risk communities, but our appeals have not been acted upon. If people begin to take matters into their own hands due to this neglect, the situation could spiral beyond control,” Ankala warned.
Chairman of the Coalition of Plateau Youth Ethnic Nationalities, Ezekiel Bini, recounted the horrors of the attack, describing the aftermath as devastating.
“An entire family of eight was wiped out in one house. Homes have been reduced to rubble. Despite numerous peace agreements, they have failed because the other party never honours them,” he lamented.
Also reacting, President of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association, Solomon Mwantiri, called for stronger government intervention and urged the declaration of Fulani militants as terrorists. He also advocated the enactment of legislation to allow Nigerians to bear arms in self-defence.
Meanwhile, a mass burial was conducted for the victims as survivors fled to neighbouring communities. Many families remain displaced amid urgent calls for humanitarian assistance to support those affected by the attack.
Similarly, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joyce Ramnap, who spoke with journalists by phone, said the attack was one too many, noting that the series of attacks posed an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of the peace-loving people of the state.
According to Ramnap, “It is sad that in less than two weeks after our people were killed in Bokkos, this tragic incident is recurring in another community in Bassa Local Council.” She described the attack as another attempt to puncture the peace that has gradually returned to the state.
Maintaining that the attacks were provocative, she called on the peaceful people of the state, particularly those in the affected community, to remain calm and equally vigilant.
The Commissioner emphasised that the Mutfwang administration was determined to deal decisively with any individuals or groups found culpable in attacks on innocent persons in the state.
Ramnap advised against reprisals and urged security operatives to go after the perpetrators of the dastardly acts.
PLATEAU State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and former presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, condemned the latest spate of attacks in Bokkos Local Council and other parts of Plateau State, describing the violence as a “deliberate and orchestrated genocide” against indigenous communities.
The two leaders made the remarks during Obi’s condolence visit to Jos on Sunday, where they called for urgent and decisive national intervention to halt the bloodshed and restore peace to affected communities.
Speaking with emotion, Obi decried the persistent killings and displacement of locals. “Nigeria is not at war, yet innocent citizens are being displaced from their ancestral homes. We have no justification as a nation to be enduring this. People must be able to live in peace, farm their land, and feel secure. This is the most basic responsibility of any government,” he said.
A statement by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Dr Gyang Bere, quoted Mutfwang as praising Obi for his show of empathy and solidarity. “This visit is not just symbolic; it is a powerful statement in a time of sorrow. Peter Obi’s compassion for the vulnerable has always been evident, and his presence here is deeply appreciated,” the governor said.
Governor Mutfwang did not mince words in his description of the crisis, insisting that the attacks amount to genocide. “What is happening in Bokkos is not about political correctness. It is a systematic and brutal attempt to displace our people. Entire communities have been overrun, homes taken over, and stolen building materials now used to construct new settlements for the aggressors. This cannot and must not continue”
Both leaders stressed the need for a unified national response to end the killings, warning that the continued normalisation of violence threatens Nigeria’s unity and long-term stability. Mutfwang also revealed that Obi had previously donated a borehole to the people of Bokkos; an act of kindness done quietly but felt deeply by the community.
After signing the condolence register, Obi urged Nigerians to speak up against terror and displacement. “This must end. We must speak for the voiceless and stand fearlessly for justice,” he said.
As part of his visit, Obi donated N10 million to the Our Lady of Apostles School of Nursing in Jos and also visited internally displaced persons from Bokkos who are currently taking refuge at St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church.
This came as President Bola Tinubu urged Governor Mutfwang to summon the political will needed to end the protracted ethnic and religious crisis that has plagued the state for over two decades.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu condemned the latest wave of violence that has left dozens dead, describing the situation as tragic and unacceptable.
He stressed the need for unity among the people of Plateau, calling on community, religious, and political leaders to work together to halt the cycle of retaliatory attacks that have devastated many communities.
“The ongoing violence between communities in Plateau State, rooted in misunderstandings between different ethnic and religious groups, must cease,” Tinubu said. “I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts. We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough.”
The President emphasised that beyond arresting perpetrators, the state’s leadership must address the longstanding roots of the conflict.
“Governor Caleb Mutfwang must confront these issues head-on and fairly. These problems have lingered for more than two decades. We can no longer ignore the underlying causes. I have engaged with the governor on this matter and shared ideas for achieving lasting peace,” Tinubu said.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the Plateau State government in its peacebuilding efforts, including fostering dialogue, promoting social cohesion, and ensuring justice and accountability.
HOWEVER, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) accused the Federal Government of indifference to the ongoing violence in Plateau State, alleging ethnic and religious bias in its response to the crisis.
In a strongly worded statement issued yesterday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group condemned what it described as the government’s lip service to the mass killings in the state, claiming that over 300 lives have been lost since December 24, 2023.
HURIWA alleged that the attacks were being carried out by armed Fulani terrorists sponsored by herders seeking to take over the agriculturally rich lands of the Plateau people. It also accused the government and security agencies of complicity through their inaction.
“The hypocrisy of Northern Muslim political and military elites to the constant killings of mostly Christian natives of Plateau State is deeply troubling,” Onwubiko said. “The normalisation of these intermittent killings by the security forces and the political authority in Abuja paints a picture of a government that is on the same page with the armed killers.”
The group also criticised the silence of northern governors and elites, contrasting it with their swift reaction to the recent mob lynching of 16 suspected kidnappers in Uromi, Edo State. HURIWA argued that if a northern governor had raised a similar claim of genocide, the federal authorities would have responded with urgency.
“If the Kano State Governor had declared that Hausa-Fulani people were victims of genocide, the entire security architecture and leadership of the National Assembly would have swung into action,” the statement added.
“But because it’s the Christian governor of a Christian state in the North making the claim, they pretend to be deaf and dumb. This is injustice at a highly sophisticated and industrial scale.”
