18 Farmers Killed, Several Injured in Fresh Attack on Plateau Communities

Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred

18 Farmers Killed, Several Injured in Fresh Attack on Plateau Communities

Gunmen storm Kawel and Kopkon villages in Bokkos LGA, less than a week after traditional ruler was killed in same area.

No fewer than 18 farmers have been killed and several others injured after gunmen launched coordinated attacks on Kawel and Kopkon villages in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assault occurred late Sunday night, heightening concerns over escalating violence in the region and coming less than five days after the District Head of Gwande was killed in an ambush.

The attackers reportedly stormed the communities at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, opening fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents before fleeing the area as security operatives mobilised to the scene. Some accounts place the time of the attack as late as 1:20 a.m. on Monday. According to a security report cited by counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, troops of Sector 5 under Operation Enduring Peace responded to distress calls following the attacks. Upon arrival at the affected communities, security operatives recovered 12 bodies from Kawel village and six from Kopkon village, bringing the total number of fatalities to 18. Other reports, however, put the death toll as high as 19 or 21. Military sources said troops have since launched search operations across surrounding communities to track down and apprehend fleeing suspects.

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Confirming the incident, Christopher Luka, Bokkos Youth Leader, said he received information about the attack from a member of the youth council shortly after midnight. “A youth leader called around 12 a.m. that gunmen attacked the community and shot over 20 people, so 18 were confirmed dead,” Luka told journalists. He explained that he immediately alerted security personnel stationed in Bokkos. “I called the security and they confirmed to me that they had been alerted and were on their way to the attacked community,” he added. Luka described the attack as unprovoked and urged security agencies to take decisive steps to prevent further escalation of violence in the area. He called on security forces to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities in the local government area.

The latest incident comes less than five days after the District Head of Gwande in Bokkos LGA, Saf Samuel Alaket, was killed in an ambush along the Sha District axis bordering Daffo community. The traditional ruler was reportedly returning home from a traditional council meeting when he encountered the attackers. The renewed violence has deepened concerns over security in Bokkos and surrounding communities, which have witnessed recurring deadly attacks in recent months. In May, no fewer than 12 persons were killed in separate attacks on communities in Riyom and Bassa Local Government Areas, and in March, gunmen reportedly killed 27 residents in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the latest attack. Efforts to obtain comments from the spokespersons of the Plateau State Police Command and Operation Enduring Peace, SP Alabo Alfred and Captain Polycarp Auta, were unsuccessful as they had not responded to inquiries. Operation Enduring Peace has since intensified patrols and reinforced security presence in vulnerable parts of the state in response to the recurring incidents. The latest attack underscores the persistent security challenges confronting communities in Plateau State, where residents continue to call for a stronger security presence and decisive action to end the cycle of violence.