Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The District Head of Manguna in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Alo Raymond, has said that the attacks on the communities that led to the death of over 50 persons was a deliberate ploy to forcefully take over their lands.
He also alleged that the gunmen responsible for the attacks on communities in the district were individuals known to the them.
Raymond disclosed this during a peace meeting convened by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, held in Bokkos.
It will be recalled that on April 2, coordinated attacks were carried out by armed assailants in several communities, including Hurti, Josho, Daffo, and Manguna.
The attacks claimed over 50 lives, destroyed more than 300 homes, and displaced over 1,000 residents.
In a related incident on March 27, gunmen also attacked mourners at a wake, resulting in 10 deaths.
Commenting on the attacks, Raymond stressed that the perpetrators were neither strangers nor concealed their identities.
“The attackers of our people are not unknown; they are individuals we recognise because they did not cover their faces during the assaults,” he said.
He added that the community had already submitted the names of the suspects to the security agencies and expressed hope that appropriate action would be taken.
He called for the urgent deployment of more security personnel to protect the affected areas, affirming that his people would never abandon their ancestral land.