Bandits have taken over 64 communities in Plateau – Governor Muftwang

Plateau State Governor Caleb Muftwang has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in the state, revealing that at least 64 communities have been taken over by bandits. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, April 8, the governor said the affected communities cut across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas.

“These communities that have been recently attacked were part of the communities that were attacked in 2023 but they survived it and rebuilt themselves,” he said. “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.”

In the past week, more than 50 people have been reported killed in renewed attacks across five communities, with over 300 houses set ablaze by suspected herdsmen. The violence has reignited national concern over the persistent insecurity plaguing the North-Central region.

The Plateau State Government, led by Secretary to the State Government Samuel Jatau, visited some of the affected communities to assess the destruction and deliver relief materials to displaced victims.

Despite the tragedy, Governor Muftwang said such attacks are not new to the state. “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,” he stated.

He further lamented that these invasions have failed to attract adequate national attention over the years. “As I am talking to you, there are not less than 64 communities that have been taken over by bandits on the Plateau… They have been taken over, renamed and people are living there conveniently on lands they pushed people away to occupy,” the governor added.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has since visited Plateau State, assuring residents that the Federal Government is committed to ending the cycle of killings and restoring peace in the troubled region.