On Friday, January 5, 2024, the longstanding frustrations of the residents of Bokkos local government area in Plateau State reached a boiling point, leading to the torching of the residence of Saf Monday Adanchi, the District Head of Bokkos.
The incident in Plateau is a stark indicator of the deepening crisis in the region.
Recent weeks have seen about 28 communities in the LGA ravaged, resulting in a massive displacement of locals. Currently, 12 camps are housing those uprooted by this turmoil.
Amid this chaos, the natives’ anger was directed towards their traditional leader, whom they accuse of failing to prevent the indiscriminate arrest of local youths by security forces.
A native, who spoke anonymously to Vanguard, revealed, “The incident began at the Police station, expressing anger over the arrest of community members. It then escalated to the razing of the Chief’s house, denouncing him as a sellout.”
In the last three days alone, several natives, including those in the IDP camps, have been arrested following the discovery of two corpses in Bokkos town. This sparked widespread tension, with locals questioning why security forces were targeting them instead of pursuing the perpetrators of the village attacks.
,“Our people are traumatised and abused, with ongoing arrests of victims, while perpetrators roam free,” Emmanuel Mafulul, a local citizen, voiced his community’s grievances. “The Fulani are harvesting our crops while we suffer hunger and homelessness, yet our people are the ones being arrested. Where is the fairness?”
Captain James Oya, spokesman of Operation Safe Haven, explained the security actions, stating, “Arrests were necessary following the discovery of corpses. All those detained have since been released. However, when the community moved to the traditional ruler’s house, they set it ablaze, accusing him of complacency in dealing with the Fulani.”
