THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has described the killings and violence in Plateau State as saddening and unacceptable.
Obi, who visited Plateau on Sunday, April 13, said his visit aimed to condole with victims of the violence in the state and show solidarity with Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
In a post on his official social media handle, on Monday, April 14, the former governor of Anambra State, said the recent killings in the Bokkos area of the state are senseless.
“I travelled to Bokkos and spent time with the victims, the displaced children, and others. What has happened in these communities is very sad and utterly unacceptable.
“Nigerians should not be killed or forced to flee their homes when we are not at war. Every life is precious, and no Nigerian, regardless of where they live, should have to live in fear or uncertainty,” he tweeted.
“My deepest condolences go to the families and communities who have suffered tragic losses.
According to Obi no words can truly capture the pain and devastation that such violence brings.
He said that the ‘Obedient Movement’ had earlier built a borehole to provide clean water for the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp and the Bokkos community.
He announced the sum of 7.5 million naira to help in providing facilities for the displaced children and providing continuous education, among other needs of those affected.
He added that leadership and compassion are essential to tackle the persistent violence in the state.
“I stand in solidarity with Plateau State and remain committed to supporting all efforts toward peace, justice, and healing,” he stated.
The ICIR reported on Monday that forty persons were killed in another attack on the Zike community, Kimakpa, in the Kwali district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to Channels TV, in the early morning of Monday, April 14, gunmen attacked the community and started shooting at residents.
Media reports said vigilantes responded to the attack and repelled the assailants, but not before 36 people were killed, with 4 more dying later.
The Plateau police command has yet to confirm the incident.
The North Central State in Nigeria is experiencing recurring violent attacks, with a recent incident that led to the killing of 52 people in the Bokkos Local Government Area. The ongoing violence has resulted in significant loss of life, destruction of property, and erosion of trust in governance, demanding urgent national attention.
The ICIR reported that President Bola Tinubu has vowed that those behind the gruesome attacks on several communities in Plateau state will be apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law.
Reacting to the spate of killings in the Bokkos Local Government Area, the president, in a statement on Saturday, April 5, described the violence as “unacceptable” and directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators.
The renewed violence, which began on March 28, 2025, escalated with a series of coordinated attacks on villages across Bokkos LGA.
The ICIR also reported that the attacks witnessed more death toll, which rose from 40 additional bodies to 52 on Wednesday and Thursday, left communities in mourning and further exposed the vulnerability of rural populations to violent attacks.
A reporter with the ICIR
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