Plan International Nigeria, a girls’ and child rights organisation, has expressed its horrors at the recent killings of over a hundred people in the communities of Bokkos and parts of Barkin-Ladi in Plateau state by bandits on Christmas Eve.
The incident was described by the girls’ rights organisation as “a horrific incident that also left hundreds wounded and many others displaced, with the attendant disruption of livelihood and normal activities.”.
Noting that the state, and especially the communities have experienced a decades-long crisis, deeply rooted in ethnic, political, economic, and religious differences, the organisation in a statement called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to work at finding a lasting solution to the underlying issues.
Expressing worries over the magnitude of the loss of lives in the attack, Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Charles Usie, said “This unimaginable toll of loss will have weighty effects on the affected communities and the whole of Plateau State.
Calling for urgent intervention in the affected communities, Usie said, “there is a need to note that this situation will give rise to limited or no access to education, health, water, food, and other social amenities in the affected communities. It is also crucial to pay special attention to the huge impact of the incident on the most vulnerable populace, especially children, girls, young women, the aged and persons with disabilities. The already challenging living conditions of these groups are definitely going to be further exacerbated by this incident, leaving them more vulnerable.”
He further raised the concern that “beyond the affected communities and Plateau State, without prompt and adequate response and intervention, incidents as this might encourage a repeat of such dastardly acts by groups who would have concluded that the nation’s security apparatus is ineffective and also deepen the erosion of trust in the security architecture among the citizenry.”
The organisation therefore called on community and religious leaders, the government, all peace agencies and other stakeholders to take sustainable actions towards ensuring for more efficient crises management. “It is imperative to establish crises readiness and preparedness structures, and strengthen peace building platforms within the state for more cohesive and harmonious co-existence among diverse population.
“We call on the government to take critical steps towards bringing an end to the repeated killing of her citizens. We can immediate action now,” the country director said.
