Endless massacre in Plateau, Benue question authorities’ capacity, sincerity

…IGP’s repeated visits yet to bring protection, relief

…Residents live at killers’ mercy despite govt assurances

Across Northern Nigeria, from Plateau and Benue to Zamfara, Borno, Niger and, more recently, Kwara, residents of vulnerable communities are trapped between the fear of being killed and the inability to abandon their ancestral homes, as persistent attacks, kidnappings and displacement continue despite repeated government promises to restore security.

For many of these residents, staying alive has become a daily struggle. They know armed assailants could invade their communities at any moment, yet leaving is not always an option.

Their homes, farmlands, businesses and ancestral heritage are tied to the villages they occupy, leaving them with the difficult choice of remaining in danger or abandoning the only places they know as home.

In some communities, residents have continued their daily activities despite recurring violence, while others have fled following deadly attacks. Those who remain often do so not because they feel safe, but because they have nowhere else to go and lack the resources to rebuild their lives elsewhere.

The persistence of killings across the North have raised questions about the effectiveness of government interventions and the ability of security agencies to protect vulnerable communities, particularly as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu repeatedly promises to tackle insecurity.

Recent attacks in Plateau and Benue states illustrate the predicament of residents who must contend with the possibility of another deadly invasion even after security officials have visited their communities and assured them of improved protection.

In Plateau State, the reported death of Yohanna Samkwar, the Mishkaham Bokkos, after suspected gunmen attacked him at his residence in Daffo, Bokkos Local Government Area, has renewed concerns about the safety of residents in the area.

The traditional ruler was reportedly shot in the leg on Monday night and taken to a hospital in Daffo before being referred to another medical facility, where he died on Wednesday.

Kefas Mallai, chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the monarch’s son had allegedly been kidnapped earlier but was released on Sunday, shortly before the attack on his father.

Mallai lamented that killings and other security incidents had become frequent in Bokkos, with residents increasingly accustomed to hearing reports of violence.

“The incidents are too many in Bokkos. Almost every day, somebody is killed or something happens,” he said.

“The situation is becoming normalised to the extent that people no longer report every incident because they have become used to hearing about killings.

“People are still moving about, markets are open and businesses are going on. People cannot stop running their businesses because of fear, even though the security situation remains a concern.”

His account reflects the difficult reality confronting residents who must continue their daily activities despite the dangers surrounding them. Markets may open and farmers may return to their fields, but the apparent normality of daily life does not mean that the fear has disappeared.

Mallai also disclosed that three people travelling on a motorcycle along a road linking communities in the area were reportedly attacked in broad daylight. Two died, while the third sustained injuries.

According to him, some residents rely on security information before embarking on journeys and are sometimes advised to avoid particular routes when intelligence suggests possible danger.

For such communities, travelling between neighbouring villages has become an exercise in caution, with residents forced to weigh the necessity of a journey against the possibility of an attack.

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Repeated visits, persistent attacks

The continued violence has also raised questions about the impact of repeated visits by top security officials to troubled states.

Recently, Olatunji Disu, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), visited Plateau State following separate attacks and killings in parts of the state, reaffirming the police commitment to improving security.

The visit came days after gunmen reportedly ambushed commuters travelling in a bus around Dungus Junction in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area, killing nine people and injuring others.

Two other people were reportedly killed in Mangu, while two more died following a night attack in Tahost community, Riyom Local Government Area.

Speaking during the visit, Disu said he had come to discuss the killings in Mangu and other parts of the state and engage stakeholders on possible solutions.

“Having gone round and engaged with stakeholders to have lasting solutions to the problem, I can assure you people to have hope and confidence on the police and we will continue working together in synergy and collaboration for secure environment,” he said.

The police chief acknowledged that sustainable peace and development required continued cooperation between security agencies and communities.

Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau State governor, represented by Josephine Piyo, his deputy described the visit as evidence of the IGP’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

Mutfwang said the state government had made considerable efforts to improve security but appealed to the police chief to reactivate the mobile police barracks in Gashesh community, Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area.

He said the facility, which had remained largely dormant since its establishment, could improve security in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu if fully operational.

The request highlights the gap between security infrastructure and the personnel and operational capacity residents need on the ground.

Although visits by senior security officials provide opportunities for engagement with state governments and community leaders, residents ultimately judge such interventions by whether attacks are prevented, perpetrators arrested and vulnerable communities protected.

The Plateau visit was not the first time the police leadership had engaged stakeholders in troubled areas. Yet, as fresh attacks continue to be reported across the North, the central question remains whether these engagements can translate into sustained security improvements.

Benue communities under siege

The situation in Benue State offers another illustration of the hardship confronting rural communities.

At least, nine people were reportedly killed in fresh attacks on Tse-Nyaku, Tse-Biliji and adjoining communities in Mbatian Council Ward of Ngenev, Ukum Local Government Area.

The attacks, which reportedly began around 11pm on Friday, left several people injured, while an unspecified number of residents were reported missing.

A local source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants invaded the communities in large numbers, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to flee their homes.

“The attackers came in large numbers and started shooting in the communities. Luckily, many people managed to escape, except for the nine who have been confirmed dead for now because their corpses have been recovered,” the source said.

The source added that the death toll could rise because some residents had not been accounted for after the attack.

“Our people discovered that one of armed herdsmen is in possession of the phones of one of the victims and he has been using it to make and receive calls.

“The attacked communities have also already been deserted. It is a very sad day for our people. The Sankera axis of Benue has become a shadow of itself due to the level of insecurity,” the source added.

The attacks have renewed concerns about the safety of residents in the Sankera axis, where repeated violence has disrupted livelihoods and forced people to abandon their homes.

For villagers who depend largely on farming, leaving their communities can mean losing access to their land, sources of income and the social networks that sustain their families. Yet remaining exposes them to the possibility of another deadly invasion.

A resident of an affected Benue community, whose firsthand account is yet to be obtained, could further illustrate this dilemma: the fear of remaining in the village, the lack of somewhere else to go and the uncertainty of returning home after fleeing an attack.

Such accounts are important because the impact of insecurity extends beyond the number of people killed. It includes families living under constant threat, farmers unable to cultivate their land and residents who cannot confidently plan for the future.

Reacting to the Ukum attacks, Livinus Tyodoo, the People’s Democratic Party candidate for Ukum I (Ngenev) State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, condemned the killings and called for urgent action.

“This is one attack too many. I unequivocally condemn the senseless killing, displacement and continued persecution of innocent citizens in their ancestral homes,” he said.

Tyodoo added that residents deserved to live peacefully, cultivate their farmlands and pursue their livelihoods without the constant threat of violence.

“Human civilisation has evolved beyond the Hobbesian state of nature, where life was characterised by insecurity and the constant fear of violent death. In the 21st century, the sanctity of human life must remain paramount, and no community should be abandoned to the mercy of armed assailants,” he said.

He urged the Benue State Government, the Ukum Local Government Council and security agencies to strengthen operations in affected communities and other vulnerable areas.

When contacted, Peter Aondongu, the police spokesperson in Benue said he had yet to receive a report on the incident.

A crisis stretching across the North

While Plateau and Benue provide recent examples of the challenges confronting vulnerable communities, they are part of a wider security problem affecting Northern Nigeria.

In Zamfara, armed groups have continued to threaten communities through attacks and kidnappings. Borno remains affected by the long-running insurgency in the North-East, while parts of Niger State have faced attacks and abductions. Reports of insecurity in Kwara have also heightened concerns about the spread of violence into areas previously considered less exposed to such threats.

The circumstances differ from state to state, and the armed groups responsible are not necessarily the same. However, the consequences for affected residents share troubling similarities: deaths, displacement, disrupted livelihoods and uncertainty about the future.

In some communities, people who flee attacks struggle to find accommodation or the means to restart their lives elsewhere.

Others return because they cannot afford to remain displaced or because their farms and businesses are their only sources of income.

For residents who remain, the decision is often less about feeling safe than about having no viable alternative.

A Plateau resident who has endured repeated attacks could similarly explain the difficulty of abandoning a village where generations of a family have lived. A verified firsthand account from such a resident would put a human face on the question confronting many villagers: where can they go if they leave their homes?

These experiences also expose the limitations of treating insecurity primarily as a series of isolated incidents. Each attack may be investigated individually, but communities facing repeated violence need sustained protection that prevents the next assault.

Security agencies must therefore, contend not only with responding to attacks but also with identifying vulnerable settlements, improving intelligence, protecting travel routes and ensuring that deployments are maintained where threats persist.

The revival of the Gashesh mobile police barracks, as requested by the Plateau government, is one example of a local intervention that could improve security if supported by adequate personnel, equipment and effective operations.

Community cooperation is also important, as the IGP acknowledged during his Plateau visit. However, such cooperation can only be sustained when residents have confidence that information they provide will lead to timely action and will not expose them to further danger.

Beyond assurances

For states and communities facing recurring attacks, the immediate concern is survival. They want to know whether they can return to their homes, travel to neighbouring villages, cultivate their farms and send their children to school without fearing another invasion.

The death of a traditional ruler, the killing of commuters and the displacement of entire communities demonstrate the human cost of prolonged insecurity. They also raise difficult questions about the effectiveness of interventions announced after attacks have already occurred.

President Tinubu’s repeated promises to address insecurity have created expectations that the government will make communities safer. Meeting those expectations requires more than declarations of commitment. It demands sustained operations, credible investigations, accountability for perpetrators and support for families whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted.

The police and other security agencies face complex challenges, including difficult terrain, intelligence gaps and armed groups operating across remote areas. Those difficulties, however, do not diminish the responsibility of government to protect citizens or the need to demonstrate measurable progress.

For people trapped between the fear of staying and the impossibility of leaving, peace is not an abstract political promise. It is the ability to sleep without listening for gunshots, travel without checking whether a road is safe and return from the farm without wondering whether their homes will still be standing.

Until that becomes possible, many villagers across Northern Nigeria will remain where they are, not because they have overcome their fear, but because they have nowhere else to go.