A prominent community leader in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Da Yohana Margif, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a State of Emergency in the state to end the constant killings and destruction caused by suspected Fulani militia gangs.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Margif — who is also the Waziri of Mushere and a former Labour Party governorship candidate — said armed herders have taken over seven villages in Bokkos, displacing natives and claiming their ancestral lands.
According to him, the affected communities are living in fear and can no longer sleep, as attacks continue daily.
“The savage killings and destruction of homes continue even as of today, Tuesday, August 5th, 2025. Seven communities have been captured, and many lives have been lost. Innocent villagers have been slaughtered, their homes burnt, and their ancestral lands forcefully taken,” he said.
Margif warned that without urgent intervention by the federal government, entire communities in the state could be wiped out. He stressed that the government’s main responsibility is to protect lives and property, and failure to act could lead to further bloodshed and crisis.
“Displaced families now roam as refugees in their fatherland. If the government cannot protect us, then what is its purpose?” he added.
Plateau State has been experiencing waves of violent attacks in recent years, especially in rural areas where land disputes and herder-farmer clashes have turned deadly. Local leaders and civil society groups have repeatedly called for stronger government action.
