The security analyst and counterinsurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, has sounded a chilling alarm over the escalating wave of targeted killings in Bokkos and neighbouring parts of Plateau State — a crisis that is steadily deepening distrust, igniting ethnic animosity, and feeding a relentless cycle of deadly reprisals.
In a statement on his official X handle, Makama revealed a disturbing reality: Fulani men and women can no longer travel through certain villages in Bokkos without facing the risk of deadly assault. Community leaders lament that a dangerous stereotype now dominates local perception — that every Fulani is a terrorist — a narrative that has entrenched prejudice, sparked bloodshed, and eroded decades of fragile coexistence.
The latest episode of violence unfolded on Monday in the Barr community of Bokkos Local Government Area, where armed assailants attacked herders, killing two men and nearly ten cows. The attackers vanished without trace, leaving behind grief, anger, and fear. As with countless incidents before, there have been no arrests, no investigations made public, and not a single word of condemnation from Plateau State authorities.
Observers warn that the absence of justice and official acknowledgment is emboldening perpetrators, leaving vulnerable communities to fend for themselves and making peace increasingly elusive. “Without accountability, these killings will continue to fuel reprisals and harden divisions,” one conflict resolution expert noted.
The silence of the authorities, many argue, is not mere negligence but a dangerous complicity that risks tipping Plateau into another prolonged season of violence.
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