Caleb Muftwang, Plateau State governor, has raised alarm over the recent attacks in his state, revealing that bandits have taken control of 64 communities.
The governor made this statement on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“These communities that have been recently attacked were part of the communities that were attacked in 2023 but they survived it and rebuilt themselves. The Ruwi community that was first attacked lost about 17 people in 2023, but they bounced back to show you the resilience of the people,” the governor said.
In just one week, over fifty people lost their lives in attacks across five communities, and more than three hundred houses were set ablaze by suspected herdsmen.
The Plateau State Government, through the Secretary to the Government, Samuel Jatau, also visited some of the affected communities to assess the damage and provide relief materials to the victims.
Adu reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to finding solutions to the persistent attacks and killings.
However, the governor pointed out that these attacks are not a recent occurrence. He specifically mentioned that the state has been grappling with similar violence for over a decade, but the situation has not received enough national attention.
“If these attacks have been going on for close to 10 years, it tells you that there is a deliberate, conscious attempt to clean out populations and to reopen,” the governor said.
“As I am talking to you, there are not less than 64 communities that have been taken over by bandits on the Plateau between Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom Local Governments. They have been taken over, renamed, and people are living there conveniently on lands they pushed people away to occupy,” Governor Muftwang added.
