From Jude Dangwam, Jos

No fewer than 20 natives of Bokkos local government area of Plateau state are said to have been killed in less than two weeks with the recent killings of 10 locals on Wednesday by gunmen in broad daylight.

The attackers were said to have stormed villages speaking “Fulani dialect,” and launched a brazen assault on Mangor Tamiso and further moved to Daffo, Manguna (Tagai), as well as invaded Hurti and Tadai communities respectively.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard and the Secretary, Amb. Duwam Bosco yesterday in Jos, calling on their people to rise up and defend themselves from the attackers as farming season is around the corner.

“Bokkos, Plateau State, the peaceful and hospitable people of our local government area are under threat from terrorists who seek to seize our land and impose a caliphate. This agenda must be stopped, and their senseless bloodletting must be confronted by all possible means.

“In just one week, we have lost over 20 community members due to these marauding terrorists, who are engaged in an ongoing ethnic and religious cleansing of five villages. On April 2 alone, they killed over 10 people.

“Survivors reported that the attackers, speaking the Fulani dialect, launched a brazen assault in broad daylight around noon in Mangor Tamiso, then moved to Daffo, Manguna (Tagai), and invaded Hurti and Tadai,” they stated.

While urging the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Advisor and other relevant authorities to reconsider the previous decision of the former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the issuance of gun licenses.

The Duo called on their people to defend themselves in the face of unprovoked attacks urging President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension of the issuance of gun licenses to enable local communities arm themselves against the activities of the marauding gunmen.

“We enjoin citizens to join registered volunteer guard associations like the Hunters and Forest Security Guard Services, VGN and Neighborhood Watch to avoid harassment by security forces when defending against terrorist invasions.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims of the recent invasions in Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai. We call on emergency agencies such as NEMA, SEMA, and the Nigerian Red Cross to swiftly provide relief to the displaced and injured.

“Additionally, we urge the international community including the United States, United Nations, and African Union to pressure Nigerian authorities to take decisive actions to end the violence and protect Christians and other religious minorities from radical Islamists seeking to impose a caliphate in Nigeria.

“This is particularly important as the farming season approaches, requiring increased protection for the majority farming villagers by deploying more troops including the recently introduced agro rangers of the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps,” they appealed.