Plateau Killings: Suspects Arrested As Death Toll Hits 52

The Plateau State government has confirmed the arrest of some suspects in connection with the coordinated attacks in some communities in Bokkos local government area of the state.

It was gathered that the death toll has risen to 52 with 31 of the victims already given mass burial.

Some community leaders said the rise in the casualty figure followed the recovery of additional 40 corpses who were killed by the rampaging gunmen on Wednesday and Thursday night while the search and rescue team kept combing the bushes for missing persons.

LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that the gunmen attacked Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna (Tagai), Hurti and Tadai communities of the council on the night of April 2, 2025 where they opened fire on the innocent residents.

The chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard, Farmasum Fuddang, confirmed the incident to our correspondent yesterday.

He said 31 persons were given a mass burial on Thursday with five underage victims burnt to ashes in Hurti village; 11 others were killed in Ruwi village, four killed in Manguna and one in Dafo village.

Meanwhile, the state government has said some suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing of the residents in five communities of Bokkos local council.

The commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Joyce Ramnap, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Jos, the state capital.

She said the state government condemns the attacks at Manguno, Josho and Daffo communities in Bokkos local government area where some communities were razed and lives were lost.

Ramnap said, “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and assure them that every effort is being made to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Plateau residents.

“Security agencies have deployed and dominated these areas to ensure normalcy returns at the shortest possible time. Additionally, important arrests have been made by the security agencies and this will hopefully help in stemming the tide of this ugly situation.

“We strongly urge citizens to exercise restraint and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

“The state government calls on all residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the relevant security agencies. Citizens must actively cooperate with law enforcement to facilitate the identification and apprehension of those responsible for these heinous acts.

“Furthermore, the Governor Mutfwang-led administration has deployed strategic measures to enhance intelligence gathering, surveillance, and rapid response mechanisms in collaboration with security operatives.

“We also call on religious, traditional and community leaders to reinforce the message of peace, unity and lawful engagement.”