Displaced Bokkos Residents Appeal To Mutfwang Amid Prostitution Crisis

Displaced residents of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State say the hardship they face in displacement has forced some of their wives and daughters into prostitution to survive, as they appealed to Governor Caleb Mutfwang to fulfil his promise to facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.

In an open letter addressed to the governor on Monday, the group said they were displaced by Fulani bandits, terrorists, and land grabbers, leaving them to live in difficult conditions in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

The group said some families have remained displaced for more than five years, living in what they described as deplorable conditions in IDP camps.

“Some of us are living with relatives who themselves barely have enough to feed. We have become beggars in our own state; our children have become beggars, our wives and daughters have resorted to prostitution to make ends meet, while some of our able-bodied young men have become criminals,” they said.

They lamented that the loss of their homes and farmlands has forced many of them into destitution, with families now relying on charity and food aid to survive.

The group also said the hardship has pushed some families to desperate measures.

The open letter, signed by the coordinators of the displaced persons, Mangut Alfred, Micah Malo, and David Arandong, expressed disappointment that despite repeated assurances from the state government, little progress has been made to enable them return to their communities.

They also lamented that their fertile farmlands have remained largely unused since they were taken over by armed groups who, according to them, are not farmers.

“We, the Displaced People of Bokkos, make this solemn appeal to our Governor, His Excellency Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, to kindly fulfil his promises of facilitating our return to our ancestral homes following our displacement by Fulani bandits and terrorists,” the letter read.

They noted that while the government had repeatedly promised to facilitate their return, those assurances have so far not translated into concrete action.

The displaced residents urged the governor to act swiftly, especially as the rainy season approaches, so they can return to farming and rebuild their livelihoods.

They added that the lands currently occupied by the armed groups remain uncultivated because the occupiers focus mainly on cattle grazing rather than farming.

“Our lands are begging to be cultivated,” the letter stated.

“We make this appeal with tears in our eyes and the pain of watching our children and families suffer. We are not lazy people. We have always been industrious and hardworking farmers and we want to go back home and pick up our lives.”