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“We feel betrayed by those responsible for our protection. Close to ten of our members are currently lying dead, victims of the latest assaults in Daffo and Kwatas communities.”
Those were the words of the leaders of Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard in a statement issued in the wake of the latest assaults on two communities of Bokkos LGA on the night of September 3, 2024, by suspected Fulani terrorists.
In a statement titled “Resurgence of Terror Attacks and Ethnic Cleansing in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State,” signed by its Chairman, Barr. Farmasum Fuddang and Secretary, Amb. Duwam Bosco, the group said it was “deeply saddened by the resurgence of deadly attacks by Fulani terrorists targeting ethnic minorities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria.”
BCDC said that despite the Nigerian military’s peace agreements, “at least 30 murders and over 1,000 crop farm destructions have occurred since May 2024.”
The vanguard group added that “These attacks, executed simultaneously on September 3, followed a week of isolated attacks resulting in 16 deaths.
“The latest attack in Daffo started around 7 pm, targeting peaceful residents in a commercial area near a military base. The Fulani-speaking terrorists launched a brazen attack, leaving at least seven people dead.
“At the same time, similar attacks in Kwatas and Ambul-Barkish killed at least four people.”
BCDC stated that while they credited the Sector Commander of the Special Task Force Operations Safe Haven in Bokkos for responding to the attack, they called for an investigation into the role of the soldiers manning the nearby base in Daffo.
“These attacks confirm our previous fears that the Fulani are not to be trusted. Our people have never launched attacks on Fulani residents, yet we have been subjected to consistent armed attacks since 2013, resulting in over 500 deaths and the forced annexation of our communities.
“We demand answers and swift action from those responsible. We call on the international community to rise and demand justice for our people. We demand adequate compensation for those who have suffered violence and the dislodging of terrorist camps in the area.”