By Our Correspondent
Solomon Dalung, a former minister under President Buhari, has warned that the violence in Plateau State has escalated beyond communal conflict into a campaign of genocide. He said more than 64 indigenous communities have been forcefully taken over by well-organized criminal or terrorist groups.
Dalung said the crisis has transformed from political and ethnic disputes into organized criminal activity aimed at displacing communities and seizing land. He stressed that the attackers are not merely herders in conflict with farmers, but resemble terrorist enclaves that are armed, entrenched, and operating independently. He warned that if the situation continues unchecked, it could lead to deeper control over Plateau’s ancestral lands.
The former minister criticized the Nigerian government for its lack of decisive action. He said that the absence of prosecution and accountability has emboldened the attackers and fueled the cycle of violence.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has also raised alarm over the situation, describing it as a sponsored genocide. He noted that armed groups have taken over communities in the Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas, even renaming some of the seized settlements.
Human rights organizations have condemned the attacks, highlighting targeted killings of civilians including women, children, and the elderly. They warned that the scale and coordination of the violence suggest an intent to permanently change the region’s demographics, which would require urgent intervention from national and international authorities.
The violence in Plateau is not new, but Dalung says its intensity and organization signal a dangerous escalation that demands immediate attention.
