Armed attackers ambushed a vehicle returning from a weekly market in the Bokkos area of Plateau State, killing 14 passengers, including women and infants.
The attack occurred on Thursday, and Farmasum Fuddang, Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Forum, confirmed that the attackers intercepted the vehicle and opened fire.
The victims included women and little babies, Fuddang said in a statement.
The killings followed calls for a stronger security presence in rural Plateau, one of Nigeria’s several ethnically and religiously diverse central states where inter-communal conflicts have killed hundreds of people in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has pledged decisive collaboration between the Senate and security agencies to end the persistent killings in the State.
Akpabio gave the assurance on Friday in Jos, during the funeral service of Professor Janet Plang, wife of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang.
Responding to a passionate appeal by Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for urgent federal government intervention in the continued attacks and killings by terrorists, Akpabio said the Senate under his leadership would not remain indifferent.
Also, a high-level delegation from the European Union (EU) has visited the Plateau State government to explore potential partnerships in peace building and development.
The delegation, led by Ms. Gift Omoniwa, acting Country Director of Search for Common Ground, evaluated the EU-funded IRENEW project, which has promoted inter-faith harmony and youth engagement across all 17 local government areas of the state.
The IRENEW initiative led to the establishment of the Plateau State Youth Interfaith Forum (PYIF), in collaboration with the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency.
The Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Joyce Ramnap, welcomed the EU’s interest in deepening collaboration with the state, particularly in peacebuilding and early conflict response mechanisms.
She reaffirmed Governor Mutfwang’s dedication to fostering peace through initiatives such as the Plateau State Advisory Council on Interreligious Harmony, the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency, and Operation Rainbow.
The meeting featured participation from members of the Plateau State Executive Council, including the Commissioners for Commerce, Housing, Works, and Science and Technology.
The visit by the EU delegation underscored the state’s readiness to engage with global partners in advancing peace and sustainable development.
The Plateau State government and the EU are exploring potential partnerships to promote peace building and development in the state.
The Senate President’s assurance of decisive collaboration between the Senate and security agencies to end the persistent killings in the State is a welcome development, and it remains to be seen how these efforts will impact the security situation in Plateau State.
