No fewer than 51 people have been confirmed dead following a deadly midnight attack on Sunday, April 14, in Zikke hamlet, Kimakpa community, Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The tragic assault, which left dozens of homes and properties in ruins, has plunged the community into mourning and drawn renewed attention to the region’s escalating insecurity.
The President of the Irigwe Youth Movement, Amb. Ezekiel Peter Bini, who also serves as the Chairman of the Coalition of Plateau Youth Ethnic Nationalities, confirmed the incident while speaking to MTB Blogs Reporter.
According to Bini, the attack occurred around midnight when armed assailants believed to be Fulani militia stormed the village in large numbers. “What we saw was tragic. An entire family of eight was massacred in one house. The situation is heartbreaking, and many houses have been reduced to rubble,” he said.
He added that despite previous peace pacts signed with Fulani communities, the agreements have failed to bring lasting peace. “We signed peace agreements, but they have proven worthless. The other side never kept their end of the deal,” Bini stated.
Hon. Eli Bako Ankala, a member representing Rukuba/Irigwe Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, also visited the affected area. Describing the attack as cowardly, Ankala emphasized the need for proactive security measures, especially at border areas. “We have consistently called on the state and federal governments to establish security outposts in vulnerable communities, but our appeals have not been met with action,” he said.
The lawmaker warned of the dangers of pushing communities to a breaking point, saying, “If people begin to seek retribution due to government inaction, the situation may spiral out of control.”
Mrs. Mary Dikva, National President of the Irigwe Women Wing, lamented the toll the recurring violence has taken on the community’s women and children. “We are tired. We have over 570 widows in this community because of these attacks. The government must act now, or this will not end,” she said emotionally.
A Community leader Davidson Mallison gave a grim account of the aftermath. “At the time I speak to you, we have recovered 51 bodies. We are still searching through the bushes. This is not just an attack—it is genocide, an attempt to wipe out the Irigwe people,” he said.
Mallison reiterated that the community had no recent clashes with the Fulani and believes the attacks are part of a long-term plan to displace and take over Irigwe land. “There are no Fulani residents in our community anymore. They left, yet they keep returning to attack us,” he said.
This latest attack comes just two weeks after over 60 people were killed in a similar assault in Bokkos Local Government Area, also in Plateau State, drawing fresh concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the region.
As the community buries its dead and counts its losses, calls for justice and urgent government intervention continue to mount.
— Matthew Tegha Reporting from Plateau State
