••Atiku Blames Failed Security Architecture
The death toll from the devastating attacks on communities in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State has risen to 52, following the recovery of additional bodies by search teams combing the area for missing persons. The violent incidents occurred on Wednesday night, targeting the villages of Mangor, Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai, where initial reports indicated at least 10 fatalities.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has attributed the surge in violence to the failure of President Bola Tinubu’s security framework, emphasizing that such killings have become alarmingly widespread across Nigeria, with many incidents going unreported. He extended his condolences to the bereaved communities of Bokkos LGA and urged the government to reassess its security strategies to better protect citizens.
Dachung Bagos, a former member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, condemned the brutal killings as barbaric and called for urgent measures to address the violence. He urged the National Assembly to expedite the establishment of community policing initiatives to enhance security in vulnerable areas.
The Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang, confirmed the escalating death toll, stating that 31 bodies were interred in a mass burial on Thursday night. Additionally, he reported that five children’s bodies were cremated in Hurti, while 11 corpses were recovered from Ruwi village, four from Manguna, and one from Daffo.
In response to the violence, the Plateau State government has announced that several suspects have been apprehended in connection with the attacks. Hon. Joyce Ramnap, the Commissioner of Information and Communication, assured the public that Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration is committed to ensuring the safety of all residents. She stated that security agencies have been deployed to the affected villages to restore normalcy and that significant arrests have been made to help address the ongoing crisis.
Ramnap urged citizens to remain calm and to avoid taking the law into their own hands. She encouraged residents to report any suspicious activities to security agencies and to actively cooperate with law enforcement to facilitate the identification and apprehension of those responsible for the violence.
The government has implemented strategic measures to improve intelligence gathering, surveillance, and rapid response in collaboration with security operatives. Ramnap also called on religious, traditional, and community leaders to promote messages of peace and unity.
In his statement, Atiku lamented: “The failure of Bola Tinubu’s security architecture has now become an endemic nationwide phenomenon with repeated killings, many of which do not even make the headlines.” He urged the president to reconfigure the security framework to better safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians.
Bagos, who previously chaired the House Committee on Science and Technology, also condemned the killings and called for the National Assembly to expedite the creation of state police, emphasizing the need for local communities to take charge of their security needs. He expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of life in Bokkos and commiserated with the affected families, acknowledging the lasting scars left on the community.
