Babatunji Wusu –
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Two villages in Bassa LGA, Zike and Kimakpa, were attacked on Sunday night, leaving 47 dead and many others injured.
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The attack follows similar incidents in Bokkos LGA, where over 50 people were killed just two weeks ago.
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Despite efforts by security chiefs and stakeholders, violence continues to plague the region, now shifting to Irigwe Chiefdom.
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Governor Caleb Mutfwang and former military administrator Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum have claimed that the attacks are aimed at impoverishing the communities and seizing their land.
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The scale of the attack is believed to be well-planned, leaving survivors in shock and fear.
Plateau State is once again reeling from violence as two villages in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA), Zike and Kimakpa, were attacked on Sunday night, resulting in the deaths of 47 people and leaving many others injured. The attack took place in the Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, further intensifying the grief and fear that has already gripped the state.
This tragedy follows a deadly assault in Bokkos LGA more than two weeks ago, where over 50 people were killed and their livelihoods destroyed. That massacre sparked widespread outrage across the state and the nation, prompting visits from key security officials including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and DIG B.D. Kwazhi. Despite these high-level visits and several stakeholders’ meetings, the violence has persisted, now shifting to Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa LGA.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang and former military administrator Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum (rtd) have suggested that these attacks are part of a larger effort to impoverish the affected communities and seize their ancestral lands.
The attacks have left the affected communities in a state of devastation, with survivors recounting the horror they endured. Danjuma Dickson Auta, the Secretary-General of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), confirmed the attack, revealing that 47 bodies had been recovered so far. He condemned the scale and coordination of the assault, calling it a well-planned attack on innocent civilians.
As of the latest updates, both the Plateau State Police Command and Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have yet to issue an official statement regarding the killings. The people of Plateau State continue to endure unimaginable loss, with hopes for justice and peace increasingly uncertain.
