The heart-wrenching death toll from the gruesome attacks in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has soared to 52, as more bodies continue to be recovered from surrounding bushes in a relentless search-and-rescue mission.
What began as a series of coordinated assaults has evolved into a tragedy of staggering proportions. According to local authorities, 40 additional corpses were discovered between Wednesday and Thursday night, prompting renewed outrage and mourning across the state.
The Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard, Mr. Farmasum Fuddang, confirmed that 31 victims were laid to rest in a mass burial on Thursday. In a particularly gut-wrenching incident, five children were burned alive in Hurti village, a haunting reminder of the brutality unleashed on innocent civilians. Elsewhere, 11 residents were killed in Ruwi village, four in Manguna, and one in Daffo, bringing the confirmed death toll to 52.
The search is far from over, with teams still combing the dense forests of Hurti and Mbar villages, desperately looking for missing persons.
Tensions in Plateau have been simmering since Christmas Day 2023, when over 200 people were massacred during a bloody onslaught on a Christian community. The renewed violence has shattered the fragile calm that had barely taken root.
In response, the Plateau State Government issued a strong condemnation of the attacks and called for urgent calm. Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, in a statement on Friday, lamented the renewed violence as “a regrettable setback to the substantial security gains achieved in recent months.”
“Security forces have now dominated the affected areas and are working tirelessly to restore peace and order,” Ramnap assured. She added that several arrests have been made, hinting at a potential breakthrough in halting further attacks.
While anger and grief ripple through Plateau communities, the government has urged residents not to resort to vigilante justice or retaliatory violence. Strategic security measures are being intensified to bolster intelligence gathering, surveillance, and rapid response in cooperation with federal and state forces.
Ramnap also appealed to traditional rulers, religious clerics, and community leaders to champion peace and unity, stressing that Plateau State would not waver in its determination to bring perpetrators to justice.
The Bokkos bloodbath adds to a disturbing pattern of violence. In May 2023, around 40 people were killed and homes torched in Wase town, reinforcing fears of escalating ethno-religious conflict in the state. Residents and human rights groups alike are calling for not only justice—but lasting solutions to end this cycle of bloodshed.
As Plateau mourns again, the call for justice rings louder than ever: When will the killings end?
PIONEER NEWS 