The Plateau Youth Council (PYC) Veterans, have strongly condemned the wave of violent attacks in the state in the past two weeks which have led to the killings of over 100 people and the displacement of thousands in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas.
The PYC Veterans which is a group past leaders of the council cutting across religious and tribal leanings, decried the killings which it described as a ‘genocidal war’ against the natives and a calculated mission to erase Plateau natives from the earth, waged by suspected Fulani militias and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the attacks.
While addressing a press conference in Jos on Thursday, the Chairman of the PYC Veterans, Adamu Kevin Kesuwo, said it was time for authorities and security agencies to identify the terrorists that indulge in the barbaric acts and “eliminate every single one of them and seal our borders in order to keep them out of country.”
In his address titled at the press conference, Kesuwo said:
“We, the Plateau State Youth
Council Veterans join thousands and million voices in crying out and condemning the incessant genocide that is ongoing in our dear Plateau State.
“We consider these senseless acts as calculated mission to erase Plateau natives from the planet earth and we cannot be silent over this. It behoves on us to let the world share in our pains so as to urge it to join us in rescuing our state from the cliff of annihilation and total destruction.
“It is with great concern to talk about the brutal killings of over 100 Plateau people in three local governments in less than three weeks between 2nd and 13th April, 2025 by suspected Fulani terrorists.
“As reported by Business Day of 4th April, 2025, several villages including Mangor, Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti and Tadai in Bokkos local government were attacked in what seemed to be a premeditated genocide against a peaceful and loving people, who were embarking on their legitimate businesses could only be imagined.
“Over 51 precious souls were lost from the deadly attacks carried out by suspected marauding Fulani terrorists.
“In a similar coordinated genocidal attack, over 54 innocent natives in Zikke and Kimakpa villages of the Irigwe nation in Bassa local government, were gruesomely murdered by same suspected Fulani Militias on a Palm Sunday, while enjoying their peaceful sleep at about 2:45am.
“The continuous and sustained attacks on various communities in the state should not be perceived as herders-farmers conflict but a calculated genocide.
“This is clear considering an independent report by Gastor Barrie in 2025 as reported in Vanguard of 15th April, 2025, that from 2001 to March 2025, a total of 2,866 of coordinated attacks have been unleashed on Bassa LGA alone resulting in 1,107 deaths; 412 injuries; 20,836 houses destroyed; 742 barns and 27,330 farms also destroyed.
“In a failed attempt by these bloodthirsty devils on the Tanjol village in Riyom LGA on the 15/04/2025; we are now more than convinced that the bloodletting adventure of the enemy of the state is well planned, coordinated and executed.
“Gentlemen of the press, the memories of about 200 people, who were slaughtered at Christmas in 2023 remains indelible in our minds.
“Such coordinated attacks have also been carried out in Mangu, Barkin Ladi LGAs among others.
It is on record that from 2023 to February 2024, more than 1,300 people were butchered in Plateau State alone, including over 500 women and 260 children.
“In addition, approximately 30,000 people have been displaced from their ancestral lands. It is disheartening to note that the frequency and pattern of attacks have led to an ever-increasing fear and anxiety of a determined campaign to forcibly displace native communities and seize their ancestral lands.
“What kind of country would have its citizens slaughtered in their sleep, at their homes and then respond with silence?
“Unfortunately, we have not heard of a serious national outrage over the countless massacre on the Plateau. Nigerians are being slaughtered like livestock by the foreign terrorists who are being sponsored, armed and protected by western and middle eastern nations and being encouraged by a number of local politicians who collectively seek to divide and destroy our nation.
“Otherwise, there has been no national outcry against what is happening in Plateau State from foreign governments, even the United Nations. Unlike what is happening in Gaza and Ukraine, does it mean that Plateau people are not human beings? Or that Plateau state is not part of the world system?
HISTORY
“The Plateau State crisis has lingered for a long time which portrays either the incompetence of the security agencies or its complicity in the crisis.
“It is on record that on Friday August 31, 2001, the Plateau Youth Council addressed a press in this same NUJ Press Centre alerting the Nigerian government of an impending crisis in Jos.
“Some of us including myself were part of the organisers of the press conference. We had requested the government to set the necessary machinery in place to nib impending crisis in the bud.
‘The government, instead of swinging into immediate action then, referred to us as alarmists, who were crying wolf were none existed. On September 7, 2001, that is seven days later, Jos went into flames. A lot of lives and properties were lost.
“Up till now, no apology has been sent to the Plateau State Youth Council. From time memorial, the people of Plateau State under many guises have been addressing press conferences on the good the bad and ugly things that have befallen the state.
“Gentlemen of the press, it is a truism that this evil plot against Plateau metamorphosed and came to full glare in 2001 in Jos North and South LGAs from where it spread to Langtang North, Kanam, Yelwa- Shendam, Wase, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and now in Jos East.
“From the foregoing, it has become more glaring that Plateau State is under siege because as at today, the state is being enveloped by its enemies.
“Here again, we are addressing the world on land grabbing and genocidal acts against Plateau State, which is a state of peace and tourism, with a people that are patriotic and nationalistic and have always fought for the unity and progress of Nigeria.
“Names of sons of Plateau State such as General Yakubu Gowon, General Martin Adamu, General Domkat Bali, General Jeremiah Useini, Colonel Yakubu Pam among others, cannot be forgotten, when we write the history of those who fought for the unity and progress of this country.
“But instead of rewarding these people for their unwavering efforts by promoting the peace and progress of Plateau State which is their state of origin, rather a war is being launched on the state with the intent to wipeout their natives and occupy their land.
“To tag this as mere tit-for-tat violence dangerously twists the crisis and only serve to encourage the aggressors. These crises were all premeditated and follow repeated pattern of crime; perhaps because of its God-given suitable weather, its agricultural potentials, mineral resources, vast tourism opportunities and expanse of land that supports every human endeavour.
Fulani Herdsmen, Boko Haram, Banditry and Terrorism
“Boko Haram which started as a protest movement in 2009 in Maiduguri and because of its poor handling, has metamorphosed into banditry and full-scale terrorism today.
“Unlike the Maitasine Islamic religious uprising, Boko Haram was treated with kids gloves because of the interest of our politicians. Today, other interests have infiltrated Boko Haram which have currently transmuted into a hydra headed international terrorists’ organization, with links with ISWAP, AL-SHABAB, Hamas and other global terrorist organizations that are interested in the mineral resources of Nigeria and making sure that Nigeria never emerges as a giant of Africa.
Escalation of terrorism in Nigeria
“In 2012, Boko Haram Started spreading from the North East to the other parts of the country. The NIA and the DSS moved into action and some of the people causing trouble were arrested and interrogated.
“Some names of the sponsors were mentioned and tragically, they were not arrested for reasons best known to the security chiefs and those that ran the government at that time. Some of the names mentioned have been state governors in the North, some in the National Assembly and some in the Presidency.
“It can be authoritatively stated that the whole thing about this banditry came up against Goodluck Jonathan in 2012-2014 and ultimately into 2015 Presidential election. President Jonathan himself stated that some of the sponsors of Boko Haram were serving in his government.
“It would have been expected that after General Buhari (Rtd) was declared winner of the 2015 Presidential election and Jonathan conceded defeat without making any trouble, that built up counter combat force engineered on ground to checkmate whatever Jonathan and his people may want to do, would have simply been dismissed or vanquished into thin air but it was not to be so.
“A state governor in the North was quoted to have said that he paid the bandits to pacify them. Another governor in an interview few years ago, said that he can no longer continue to pay these people indefinitely. He said that they should return to where they came from.
“The big question now is, who are they or rather who were the people that were paid by some Northern states governors to pacify them not to be recalcitrant?
“Where did they come from? And did they finally return to where they came from? Or have they been allowed to just disperse? Or rather dissolve into some states where they are now obstructions to peace and security of lives and properties? The situation in the Northern states of the country is so bad where illegal mining, extortion from local farmers and direct taxes are collected by bandits.
“It is unbelievable that some northern leaders both politicians and religious, were so outrageous by what happened in Uromi in Edo State between the Edo State local vigilante and people freely traveling around with rifles calling themselves hunters but could not raise concern and condemn the daily massacres of some northerners especially Benue and Plateau State.
“How can this selective outrage be explained? Is the killing in Uromi different from the mindless killings in Benue and Plateau States? Whether you call them bandits, herdsmen, unknown gunmen or terrorists, they are all the same.
“These are same people who have been clamouring that Ruga or livestock communities be established for them in all the 774 local governments of Nigeria.
“When a village is under attack and the security personnel are alerted, they had always arrived after the carnage to count bodies and make empty promises. We are tired of organizing town hall meetings, community engagements and other talk shows with Miyetti Allah and other religious groups that always end up not yielding any expected results. It has become glaring that if we do not defend ourselves, no one will. If we do not rise, we will fall, again and again.
Call for state of emergency by Arewa Consultative Forum
‘It is appalling to listen to the National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Prof Tukur Muhammed Baba on the 6th of April, 2025, calling for the immediate declaration of state of emergency in Plateau. This is unfortunate and is condemned in its strongest terms.
“It is on record that several states in Northern Nigeria such as Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, among others, have serious and incomparable security challenges compared to that of Plateau State but such calls were not directed at them. This, to us, is a preferential, partial and bias call.
“We are not surprised because in 2004, the ACF and Muslim Ummah after being suspected of sponsoring of the killings of Christians in COCIN Church and some communities in Yelwa-Shendam, went on to call on then President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in the state, which the President did. Today, this same group is calling for yet another state of emergency in Plateau State.
“If the ACF considers us to be part of the purported North, why the differential treatment?
Recommendations
“We call on the Federal and State governments to dismantle the Almajiri system of education and encourage an encompassing educational system that combines the Western and Islamic tenets, which should include the Sangaya system.
“We demand for the de-escalation of religious extremism, where the Christians and Muslims are given equal freedom to worship in any part of the country. In addition, state media coverages in the 36 states, should broadcast both Christian and Muslim programmes.
“We urge the security agencies to be proactive and not reactive. They should engage more in intelligence gathering, than the fire service approach that they had always engaged in, which often result in limited response. Most times after the perpetrators must have caused a lot of havoc and have left the scene of the crisis.
“As a result of the lack of tangible successes by our security agencies, our natives and communities are left with no option but to resort to self-defence. Absolutely, if the state cannot protect us, self-defence is not a right but it has become a necessity. Section 33(2) of the Nigerian constitution allows for self-defence in any cases of unlawful violence.
“We strongly and publicly reject the assertion and narrative that the crisis on the Plateau is communal misunderstanding or farmer-herder but a genocide on a peaceful people, who are murdered in their sleep; observing wakes and on their legitimate businesses. Indeed, what is happening in Plateau is a pogrom.
“We, the Veterans, demand a stop to enabling culture of impunity and reckless indifference from diverse quarters by equating the victim with the attacker via dishonest impartiality because of some religious and political biases.
“We consider it as an insult to the victims and their grieving families. Let’s call spade a spade. Otherwise, what explains the phrase that “God is great”, which is often mentioned before and after the killing of a purported Plateau State Christian?
“We call on the Plateau government to synergize with the Federal government to seeing to the implementation of Plateau Anti-Land Grabbing Law and complete prohibition of open grazing in the state.
“We also call on the international community, especially the United Nations to independently investigate these gruesome murders. We request that swift and responsible actions be taken to return the displaced families to their ancestral lands.
“Ethnic cleansing, mass murders and genocide have no place in a civilized society.”
