A fresh wave of violence has struck Plateau State after at least 18 farmers were confirmed killed in a late-night attack on Kawel village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area, deepening concerns over the worsening security situation in the state’s rural communities.
According to local accounts, heavily armed gunmen, believed to be Fulani militia, invaded the farming community around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, opening fire on residents in what community leaders described as an unprovoked assault. While local youth leaders initially confirmed 18 deaths, some residents and local media reports put the toll at 21, with several others injured and the final casualty figure yet to be officially verified.
Christopher Luka, the Bokkos Youth Leader, said he received distress calls shortly after midnight from local youth representatives reporting that gunmen had stormed the village and shot numerous residents.
“A youth leader called around 12 a.m. that gunmen attacked the community and shot over 20 people, so 18 were confirmed dead,” Luka said.
He added that he immediately alerted security personnel stationed in Bokkos, who informed him they had already received reports and were mobilising to the scene.
Residents described scenes of panic as sustained gunfire echoed across the village for more than an hour. One survivor told reporters that among the dead were a church minister and patients receiving treatment at a nearby clinic.
As of Monday afternoon, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the attack. Efforts by journalists to obtain comments from police spokesperson SP Alfred Alabo were unsuccessful.
Attack Comes Days After Murder of Traditional Ruler
The latest massacre occurred less than a week after the killing of the District Head of Gwande, Saf Samuel Alaket, in another violent incident in Bokkos.
Alaket was ambushed while returning from a traditional council meeting and activities around Daffo market. The attackers reportedly opened fire on his vehicle near the boundary between Sha District and Daffo community. He later died from gunshot wounds despite efforts to save him.
Community leaders described the monarch’s death as a major blow to peace efforts in the area, noting that he had played an active role in mediation and local conflict resolution.
The killing heightened tensions across Bokkos and raised fears that armed groups were becoming increasingly emboldened despite ongoing security operations.
The Kawel killings are the latest in a series of deadly attacks that have plagued Bokkos in recent months.
On June 15, authorities confirmed that 13 people were killed and five others seriously injured in an attack on Kwatas village, another community in Bokkos LGA. Police subsequently deployed additional personnel to the area and launched investigations.
Earlier, on April 10, eight members of the same family were killed when gunmen attacked Mbwelle village in Bokkos. The assault reportedly lasted nearly an hour, leaving several people injured and others missing. Local officials warned at the time that recurring attacks were threatening the survival of farming communities in the area.
Security forces have conducted patrols and offensive operations across Bokkos in recent weeks. On June 8, troops of Operation Enduring Peace reportedly engaged suspected armed gunmen during patrols in Hokk, Pankap and Folkodep villages, arresting one suspect after the attackers fled.
Despite these operations, communities continue to report deadly raids, ambushes and targeted killings.
The renewed violence is likely to worsen humanitarian conditions in Plateau State’s agricultural belt, where many residents depend on farming for their livelihoods.
Bokkos, one of Plateau’s most productive farming areas, has repeatedly witnessed attacks on villages, farmlands and rural roads. Community leaders say fear of attacks is forcing some farmers to abandon cultivation during a period critical to the agricultural season.
The violence has also renewed calls for stronger intelligence gathering, rapid-response capabilities and permanent security deployments in vulnerable rural settlements.
Residents argue that many attacks occur late at night or in remote locations where security personnel often arrive after assailants have fled.
A State Under Persistent Threat
Plateau State has experienced cycles of communal, criminal and armed violence for years, particularly in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Riyom local government areas. It was noted that the attacks often involve disputes over land, grazing routes, ethnic tensions and criminal activities, though authorities frequently caution against assigning responsibility before investigations are completed.
What is increasingly evident, however, is that Bokkos has emerged once again as one of the state’s most volatile flashpoints.
With the killing of a traditional ruler last week and the mass killing of villagers this week, local communities are demanding urgent intervention from both state and federal authorities before the violence spreads further.
For now, residents of Kawel village are burying their dead while awaiting answers—and protection—from a security apparatus struggling to contain a resurgence of bloodshed across Plateau’s rural heartland.