In parts of Plateau State, residents are growing uneasy as reports of fresh security threats continue to surface. Findings from local observers and analysts suggest that these developments may be part of an attempt to assert control over strategic farmlands and displace longstanding populations.
Tensions escalated in early May with a disturbing attack in Gashish, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, which left three Berom individuals dead, including a six-month-old infant. While the incident drew attention locally, it appears to be just one incident in a string of targeted violence that has occurred with increasing frequency. Local organisations like the Berom Youth Moulder-Association (BYM) have raised concerns that such attacks serve as both a warning and a test of resilience for communities still reeling from earlier large-scale assaults.
The BYM believes that recent hostilities are not isolated. Rather, they are tied to a calculated deployment of armed groups across multiple local government areas including Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos. Their intelligence points to several locations where fighters have allegedly set up operations: areas such as Gana-Daji, Dorowa Babuje, Tenti, Gindi-Akwati, Bisichi, Kuba, and Rankum are said to be hubs for preparations.
Security analysts based in Jos have also observed an influx of fighters, some reportedly arriving from neighbouring states such as Bauchi, Nasarawa, and Kaduna. According to Garus Abednago, a local security expert, the fighters are believed to be undergoing training and coordination for large-scale operations. “All evidence points toward preparation for a massive, coordinated attack on predominantly Christian communities throughout Plateau State,” he said. Abednago further noted that these preliminary episodes of violence may be designed to test local security responses and assert territorial control through intimidation.
The idea that conflict actors are shifting their base of operations from other parts of the country to Plateau is supported by Dr. Walid Abdullahi, a specialist on terrorism in the Sahel region. He explained that Plateau holds strategic value due to its position bordering several other states. With pressures mounting in the Northwest, Dr. Abdullahi believes that certain militant factions are repositioning themselves into less-defended regions, where response times may be slower and the state’s presence less visible.
What alarms many residents is the reported proximity of these attacks to key military installations. The 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army is located only a short distance from villages that have experienced major assaults. In one instance, on April 14, militants attacked Zike and Kimakpa communities in Bassa, killing 54 people. Villagers have since voiced disappointment over what they see as the military’s delayed or absent response.
One survivor, Dare Silas, spoke candidly about his experience, questioning the military’s role during the attack: “If the military wanted to intervene, they could have done so within minutes when the attack on Zike started, but they never showed up until after the attackers had gone and the damages were done.”
Concerns have grown about the intentions behind this pattern of inactivity. While some residents remain hopeful about renewed security efforts, others wonder whether deeper issues of bias or miscommunication may be affecting the state’s response strategy.
Despite this, the BYM maintains optimism. While expressing dismay at the consistent attacks, the group has also acknowledged that some recent interventions have saved lives. Still, they are calling for a more proactive approach. “Invoke a kinetic approach maximally to neutralize the potential danger,” said BYM’s National President, Barrister Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri. The aim, he said, is to avert another wave of violence and displacement.
