Posted by The Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard reports that in the villages of Kopnanle and Mandung-Mushu, as well as other areas of the Bokkos local government area in Plateau State, alleged Fulani militants have killed approximately 30 people.
The group’s chairman, Barr. Farmasum Fuddang, released a statement in which the members claimed that the indigenous Bokkos people are the targets of a continuing genocide perpetrated by Nigerian Army personnel.
He went on to say, “As of now, close to 30 of our members have been killed — around ten in Kopnanle village in Mangu Local Government which borders Bokkos, ten in Mandung-Mushu in Bokkos Local Government, and several others in different surrounding communities.”
Peret Sylvanus, a 12-month-old girl, was cruelly murdered on April 12 by the same bullet that killed her mother, Mwanret. According to eyewitnesses, the bullet immediately killed both Mrs. Sylvanus and her strapped-in child, Peret.
According to Fuddang, reports suggest that Special Task Force Operation Safe Haven soldiers are defending huge herds of cattle that are believed to be owned by Fulani nomads who are involved in the attacks, rather than the vulnerable populations that have been targeted since the evening of April 12.
He claimed that the soldiers responsible for defending the people were responsible for inflicting some of the casualties, which is even more concerning.
He claims that six people were murdered in a string of attacks by Fulani extremists that began in the Mangun district’s Kopnanle hamlet.
Ten people were killed in Mandung-Mushu village in Tangur District by the attackers. The next day, five people were killed in Kopyal village.
He was disappointed that the military did little after they were duly told of the assailants’ whereabouts.
According to the Bokkos leader, there are concerns about the effectiveness of security measures due to the attackers’ unimpeded movement through Manduk and Njukudel, where they injured one person, Mandarken, Nghahtigut in Mbar, where they killed two people, and finally, Josho, Daffo district, where they set up camp.
According to him, the BCDC Vanguard had previously alerted security agencies about their community’s victimization and unfair labeling. This was spurred by a defamatory memo that was supposedly filed to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police on April 8, 2024, with reference number S.112/3176, and dated April 8, 2024.
There were security forces there, including soldiers, but the attacks continued and were even worsened by their activities, according to reports.
Tragic events unfolded in Kopyal hamlet, according to eyewitness accounts, when civilian defenders bravely fought off attackers despite being outnumbered and outgunned.
“Unfortunately, rather than aiding the defense operations, the soldiers interfered, causing additional harm and ultimately leading to the fatalities of four volunteers.”
According to him, there are serious suspicions of collaboration and collusion due to the “brazen genocidal attacks” that are happening within a mile of military sites.
According to him, a community leader from the attacked Tangur district was ordered to be arrested by authorities of the Special Task Force Operation Safe Haven. He and his subjects were accused of rustling cattle belonging to Fulani herders. This happened just hours before the attacks on April 12 in the villages of Mandung-Mushu and Kopnanle.
He claimed that the security agencies had conspired with the Fulani to attack his people, and that this was proven by a sequence of occurrences.
He claimed that the BCDC Vanguard has strongly denounced the activities and is demanding justice for the victims and their families, describing the atrocities as a clear declaration of war on the people of Bokkos and an assault on innocent citizens.
Since the presence of soldiers cannot ensure our safety, we demand explanations within 48 hours and the evacuation of these forces from our villages and cities.
“We are aware and stand with the general call for the replacement of soldiers with policemen,” Fuddang underlined, adding that they were representing more than 500,000 people of Bokkos.