Thirteen people, mainly children and the elderly, have lost their lives in renewed attacks on the Juwan and Manja communities in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State, reportedly carried out by suspected herdsmen. Dozens of homes were also set ablaze in the assaults.
In Juwan, Tangur District of Bokkos LGA, ten people were killed late Thursday night in a brutal raid that left many others seriously injured. Witnesses described how the attackers went house to house, breaking through ceilings when doors were barricaded. The most vulnerable—elderly residents and children—were unable to flee and became victims of the onslaught.
Earlier that evening, three farmers were killed in Manja, Chafem Chiefdom of Mangu LGA, while working in their fields. Other villagers sustained injuries but managed to escape after security personnel responded swiftly to distress calls.
Amalau Samuel, Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Council, described the attacks as “barbaric and inhuman.” He said, “Those affected mostly are the aged and children who could not run, while those agile fled for safety.”
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In Manja, more than twenty houses were torched before security forces repelled the attackers. Mathew Kwarpo, who represents Mangu South in the Plateau State House of Assembly, confirmed that the assailants returned later the same day, setting more homes ablaze and displacing scores of residents.
“These attacks are relentless,” Kwarpo said. “Despite efforts by security forces, they are being overwhelmed. This feels like a deliberate attempt to seize and occupy our land. We are pleading with both state and federal governments, especially President Tinubu, to intervene.”
Several communities across Bokkos, Bassa, and Mangu LGAs have suffered repeated assaults in recent months, resulting in mounting casualties and widespread destruction. The people of Plateau are left grieving and deeply unsettled, calling urgently for protection and lasting peace.
