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A deadly attack on the Zike and Kimakpa communities in Plateau State’s Bassa Local Government Area has left at least 51 people dead, triggering national outrage and raising urgent questions about the proximity of the violence to the 3 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army.
The attack, which occurred on Monday night, came less than two weeks after gunmen also stormed several villages in the Bokkos area of the state, killing 52 people. Despite the affected communities being located within just five kilometres of a major military base, residents say there was no swift response from the armed forces to prevent the bloodshed.
Communities Left Defenceless
When The PUNCH visited the scenes of the massacre on Tuesday, survivors expressed disbelief at the lack of intervention by security forces stationed so close to the villages.
“The fact that the attacks occurred without immediate intervention from the nearby military base has raised questions about the effectiveness of security measures in the area. Given the close proximity of the communities to the military base, it would be expected that security forces could respond quickly to such incidents,” a resident told The PUNCH on condition of anonymity.
Frustration among villagers is growing, with many demanding an investigation into how such an attack could occur virtually in the shadow of a major military presence without resistance.
Efforts to get a response from the Defence Headquarters were unsuccessful, as Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Media Operations, did not return calls or respond to messages as of press time.
Victims Share Painful Experiences
Survivors and relatives of the deceased recounted horrific scenes that have left deep emotional scars.
Lancaster Akpa, 49, from Kimakpa, said he lost nine family members in the massacre, including two brothers and seven of their children. Two more relatives are currently in hospital.
“I was at home in Jos around midnight on Sunday when one of my brothers in the community called me on phone that they were killing our people in the village. I couldn’t sleep any longer after I heard the news. When I called the number back, it was switched off. There was nothing I could do that night,” Akpa said.
“From what I gathered in the village, some of those who carried out the attack wore army camouflage while others were in mufti. But they could easily identify them as Fulani. It’s very devastating that these attacks occurred and apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice is the only way to assuage the feelings of our people.”
Jerry Muwa, from Zike, also narrowly escaped death. However, six of his grandchildren were killed when attackers burned down his son’s house after failing to break in.
“We were having a discussion on Sunday when suddenly we started hearing gunshots but we didn’t know the direction they were coming from… These people came very prepared… they came with the aim of wiping out the whole village,” Muwa said.
“These people came and kept banging my son’s door to no avail even after using their guns. When they could not break the door, they burnt the house with all the six children inside. We buried their ashes yesterday (Monday) because there were no bones or flesh, just their ashes.”
Governor Visits Grieving Communities
In response to the attacks, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited Zike and Kimakpa communities on Tuesday, accompanied by security chiefs, to mourn with survivors and offer support.
The Paramount Ruler of Irigwe Nation, Ronku Aka, thanked the governor for his timely visit.
“It has not been easy for us within the past three days… The Irigwe nation is happy to have you here to commiserate with us over what has happened,” he said.
The monarch also expressed concern about the lack of results from a drone surveillance system installed in the area to deter such attacks. He called for its proper utilisation and urged improvements to local infrastructure to aid quicker response times during future emergencies.
He warned that if the killings continued, the Irigwe people could be driven to extinction within three years.
Governor Mutfwang, deeply emotional during his remarks, offered condolences and assured the people of his administration’s commitment to peace and security.
“We are here to mourn with you, to pay our respects to those whose lives were cut short by this senseless act of terror. The entire nation is grieving with you, and so is the international community,” the governor said.
“I have wept since yesterday (Monday) because we believed that all necessary measures were in place to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies… However, this incident is a painful setback for us, especially as we have made considerable progress in pursuing peace across Plateau State.”
He urged the people not to take the law into their own hands despite the provocation.
“No one has the right to take the law into their hands… We remain committed to building a peaceful and prosperous Plateau for all.”
Police, Civil Groups Respond
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, also visited the governor in Rayfield and condemned the attacks, pledging full police commitment to apprehending those responsible.
“We recently increased our deployment to Plateau State… We are intensifying our intelligence gathering efforts to identify the masterminds of this dastardly act and bring them to justice,” the IGP stated.
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Patriot, a regional advocacy group, slammed the Federal Government’s lack of decisive action, particularly against suspected Fulani militia groups accused of carrying out mass killings across the region.
In a strongly worded statement, the group’s leader, Terna Nenge, referenced the ongoing violence in Plateau’s Bokkos and Bassa LGAs where over 70 people have been killed and 3,000 displaced.
“The government must act beyond press releases and take concrete action to protect the lives and property of Middle Belt people,” the group said.
“It is sad and irredeemably discrediting for a government to look so powerless and impotent when the Middle Belt people are massacred, but when the victims stand up in self-defence, the same government becomes so powerful with arrests and incarceration of the victims.”
The statement concluded with a call to end the killings, stressing that peaceful citizens were awaiting justice and accountability from their leaders.
“It is enough—the killings must stop or be stopped.”
