Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has described the recurring attacks in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas as genocide, rejecting the long-standing characterization of the violence as a herder-farmer conflict.
Speaking during the Experience Plateau: Art Meets Fashion event in Abuja, the governor insisted that the killings are a deliberate attempt to shatter the spirit of Plateau people. He revealed that 52 lives, including children, were lost in coordinated attacks on March 28, 2025.
“These murderers want to force us into perpetual mourning. But life must go on. Plateau will move forward. What is happening is not a herder-farmer conflict—it is genocide,” Mutfwang declared. He urged the international community to take note and vowed that those behind the violence would be exposed and prosecuted.
The governor assured the people of Bokkos that the perpetrators would not go unpunished, adding that his administration is committed to justice. “We will no longer allow those arrested for these crimes to walk free,” he said, pledging that the state will not bow to intimidation as the farming season approaches.
He emphasized Plateau’s potential in tourism, agriculture, and enterprise, highlighting initiatives to empower artisans and revive textile industries in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
In a related development, the Irigwe people of Bassa LGA raised alarm over their looming extinction, citing 2,866 attacks and 1,107 deaths since 2001. The Irigwe Development Association (IDA) decried the destruction of farms and homes, saying most victims now live in poverty.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and FCT condemned the attacks, labeling them as barbaric and unacceptable. Chairman Rev. Joseph John Hayab called for urgent action from security agencies, warning against the normalization of bloodshed.
Also, the League of Northern Democrats (LND) demanded an independent probe into the killings, describing the massacre as a stain on the nation’s humanity. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) joined in the condemnation, urging the Federal Government to declare a security emergency in affected communities and implement community-based early-warning systems.
All groups expressed solidarity with the people of Plateau State and called for urgent, decisive intervention to halt the violence.
