Following the latest violent attacks on Zikke and Kimakpa communities in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang convened an expanded State Security Council meeting on Monday to address the worsening insecurity.

The meeting, held in the Council Chamber of the Government House in Jos, focused on the resurgence of deadly attacks in Bassa and Bokkos LGAs. The governor pledged decisive action to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed.

According to Mutfwang, over 100 armed assailants stormed the affected communities on Monday morning, killing innocent residents.

“We are on top of the situation and will go to any length to forestall a recurrence,” he said.

The death toll from Monday’s attack has risen to 51, with several homes set ablaze. The governor promised to provide further details during a state broadcast scheduled for Tuesday, 15 April 2025.

Wakili Tongwe, a community leader in Kwall, said the attackers opened fire indiscriminately in the early hours of the morning as villagers ran for safety. Tongwe, who was on patrol with vigilantes and security personnel in a nearby community at the time, said they engaged the invaders and eventually repelled them, but not before 36 people were shot dead and four others succumbed to their injuries.

Several others sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving treatment in hospital.

Security agencies are yet to officially comment on the attack, which comes just under two weeks after a similar incident in Bokkos LGA claimed 52 lives.

Plateau State has long suffered from persistent violence, often attributed to conflicts between farmers and herders. In December 2023, around 200 people were killed in attacks during Christmas celebrations, and in May 2024, about 40 were killed in Wase.

While resource conflicts are frequently cited, Governor Mutfwang believes a more sinister motive is at play.

“I can honestly say that I see no explanation other than a genocide orchestrated by terrorists,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “The question is, who are the sponsors behind this terrorism? That is what security agencies must help uncover.”

The governor revealed that bandits have taken control of no fewer than 64 communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs.

“These areas have been forcibly occupied, renamed, and resettled,” he said.

In response, the Federal Government has vowed to flush out the assailants. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical units to the affected areas.