How Plateau Became a Killing Field: Death Toll Hits 60 in One Week as Gunmen Wreak Havoc

The wave of bloodshed in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State has escalated to a disturbing level, with the death toll surging to 60 following a series of coordinated attacks by unidentified gunmen. The horrifying scale of the violence became evident on Wednesday and Thursday night as 40 more bodies were discovered, pushing the week's fatalities to a grim total.

Residents of the affected communities remain in shock and fear as attacks continue unabated, despite the presence of security operatives. The carnage, which began on March 27, 2025, saw 10 people killed in Ruwi village. Another 10 were slaughtered in a fresh wave of terror on April 2, 2025, as gunmen stormed multiple villages, including Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai.

Confirming the latest deaths, Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard, Farmasum Fuddang, provided chilling details of how victims were discovered and hurriedly buried by distraught community members.

"We initially reported the deaths of 10 people in Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai on Wednesday morning. Since then, we have recovered 40 more bodies. We even had to bury them at 7 PM on Thursday using torchlights. These were innocent villagers killed in cold blood,ÔÇØ Fuddang lamented.

Security Forces Claim Success, but Attacks Persist

While the military claims to have thwarted further attacks, residents say the crisis remains unresolved. Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH), responsible for peacekeeping in Plateau State, announced that they repelled fresh attacks in Bokkos LGA, forcing the gunmen to retreat and abandon weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and six motorcycles.

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OPSH spokesman, Major Samson Zakhom, revealed in a statement that the militants targeted Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Tadai, and Hurti but were engaged and overwhelmed by security forces.

"During clearance operations on April 3, 2025, troops encountered and engaged militants hiding in the mountainous region of Hurti. The confrontation resulted in the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammunition, and four motorcycles,ÔÇØ Zakhom stated.

He further disclosed that security forces, in a separate operation in Barkin Ladi LGA, raided a suspected hideout and recovered a fabricated revolver rifle, 7.62mm ammunition, and a large sum of cash, though the suspects managed to escape.

In Wase LGA, troops operating with local vigilantes reportedly neutralized one bandit and recovered an AK-47 magazine and a motorcycle during an operation along Kampani Zurak Road.

Despite these operations, the situation in Bokkos remains dire, with no official casualty figures released by either OPSH or the Police. Survivors and local leaders continue to demand urgent and decisive action from the government to prevent further loss of lives.

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