The Plateau State Association USA, Inc. expresses its deepest sorrow and strongest condemnation of the horrific and inhumane attacks that have once again claimed the lives of innocent citizens in Plateau
State—this time in Zike village, Bassa Local Government Area, and across several communities
in Bokkos Local Government Area.
These barbaric and coordinated assaults on peaceful communities—resulting in the brutal killings of scores of people, the burning of homes, and the mass displacement of families—are not just acts of violence; they are acts of terror and must be acknowledged and treated as such.
We mourn with those who have lost loved ones, and we stand in unwavering solidarity with the victims and survivors.
Enough is enough.
Plateau State cannot continue to be a killing field while perpetrators roam free with impunity. The Plateau State Association USA therefore calls on:
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to respond with urgency, leadership, and the political will to bring these atrocities to an end.
- Security agencies to fulfill their constitutional mandate to protect all Nigerian lives by swiftly
identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrators. - The international community to recognize the violence in the Middle Belt as a full-scale
human rights crisis and respond with appropriate urgency.
We strongly recommend that all displaced persons be supported and guaranteed safe return to their ancestral lands. No one should be permanently uprooted by violence. The right to land, heritage, and dignity must be protected by law and restored without delay.
We also demand that the perpetrators of these atrocities be publicly identified and held accountable. There can be no healing without justice and no future without truth. The blood of the innocent cries out for more than condemnation—it calls for consequence.
We are deeply disappointed by the grossly inadequate and misleading media coverage of these recurring massacres. It is despicable that many Nigerian media outlets continue to whitewash these atrocities by falsely labeling them as “farmer-herder clashes.” Let us be absolutely clear: this is not a
conflict—it is a campaign of organized violence, targeted displacement, and ethnic cleansing. The media must name it for what it is and stop enabling impunity through distortion.
Finally, we call on all stakeholders in Plateau State—traditional leaders, religious institutions, civil society, local governments, elected officials, and diaspora organizations—to come together in unity and purpose. We must transcend divisions and build a common front to confront this sustained terror against our people. The time for fragmentation is over. The time for coordinated action is now.
The Plateau State Association USA remains resolute in its mission to advocate for justice, peace, and the protection of all Plateau people—both at home and in the diaspora. We will not relent. We will not
be silent. And we will not allow the memory of the victims to fade into political shadows.
May the souls of the departed rest in peace. May comfort come to the afflicted. And may truth and justice prevail over terror, silence, and distortion.
Signed,
Dr. Bartholomew Shepkong
National President
for;Plateau State Association USA, Inc.
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