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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Gunmen have killed the Mishkaham Bokkos, Da Jatau Yohanna Samkwar, after invading his residence in Daffo, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, amid reports of further killings and the rustling of 116 cattle in neighbouring Riyom and Barkin Ladi councils.
Samkwar died from injuries sustained when the attackers shot him in the legs on Monday night, barely a day after his son reportedly regained freedom from kidnappers.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos Local Government Area, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, said the traditional ruler initially survived the shooting but died after being referred from a hospital in Daffo to another medical facility.
“They came to his house at night and shot him in the leg. He was rushed to a hospital in Daffo, but he was later referred to another hospital. Unfortunately, he died.’
According to him, the ruler’s son had earlier been abducted and released on Sunday, before gunmen attacked the residence the following night.
Mallai lamented the frequency of attacks in Bokkos, saying residents were becoming accustomed to reports of killings even as they struggled to sustain their livelihoods.
“The incidents are too many in Bokkos. Almost every day, somebody is killed or something happens.
“The situation is becoming normalised to the extent that people no longer report every incident because they have become used to hearing about killings.”
He also reported an attack on three people travelling on a motorcycle along a road linking communities in the area, saying two were killed and the third injured. The attack, he said, occurred in broad daylight, heightening concerns about the safety of movement between communities.
Mallai said residents sometimes relied on security information before travelling and were advised to avoid routes where threats had been identified.
“People are still moving about, markets are open and businesses are going on. People cannot stop running their businesses because of fear, even though the security situation remains a concern,” he said.
In Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas, the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) reported that gunmen killed two residents and rustled 116 cattle in separate attacks on Wereng and Tafan communities.
The association’s National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, said in a statement on Wednesday that David Danjuma, 42, was killed in Wereng, where 114 cattle were stolen.
He said another resident, James Joro Dung, 48, was killed when gunmen attacked Tafan in Barkin Ladi on October 13, taking away two of his cows.
Condemning the killings, cattle rustling and destruction of farmlands and property, BYM urged government and security agencies to take immediate steps to protect vulnerable communities and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The association extended condolences to the bereaved families, warning that killings, displacement and the destruction of livelihoods must not continue to be reduced to statistics without decisive action.
“The association commends the establishment of Department of State Services (DSS) camps in vulnerable communities and calls for their sustained funding, adequate equipment and expansion where necessary.
“BYM also reiterates its longstanding demand for effective buffer zones to protect vulnerable communities, farmlands and property.”
Tengwong called for a sustained, intelligence-led security strategy, including coordinated, lawful operations against identified criminal camps and networks to prevent attackers from regrouping.
BYM also demanded increased surveillance and targeted patrols along routes frequently used for ambushes, reliable emergency contacts and prompt responses to distress calls.
With the harvest season approaching, the association urged authorities to strengthen security around farmlands, investigate the killings of Danjuma and Dung, recover the stolen cattle and prosecute those responsible on the strength of credible evidence.
It also called for verified public updates on investigations and security interventions to counter misinformation and address unlawful incitement through due process.
Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached for comment as his telephone line was unreachable.
