A former member of the House of Representatives, Dachung Bagos, has described the latest wave of killings in Plateau State as “pure genocide,” warning of a possible escalation if urgent action is not taken.
Bagos spoke on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following a deadly Sunday night attack in Jos North Local Government Area.
Gunmen reportedly struck communities, including Angwan Rukuba, killing several residents and injuring many others, with survivors fleeing their homes.
“This is an attack that has been planned. If not because of how calm the youths have been, and we are still calming them, Plateau would have been experiencing a clash narrative,” he said.
“We have been able to identify that what is happening in Plateau is a pure attack; it’s pure genocide. They are trying to provoke the state into appearing not peaceful.”
The former lawmaker alleged that the attackers operated with precision and prior knowledge of their targets.
“They shot on target as if they already knew who they wanted to shoot. These are trained militias that came on assignment. They mapped out how they came in and how they were able to drive out.”
Bagos also raised concerns over security lapses, citing reports that the attackers issued threats before the assault and did not speak Hausa, a widely spoken language in the region.
He called for the prosecution of previously arrested suspects linked to similar threats and urged authorities to adopt stronger security measures, including state policing and better equipment for security agencies.
The attack comes weeks after another deadly ambush in Kanam Local Government Area, where more than 20 security operatives and vigilantes were killed.
Reacting, Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence as “barbaric and unprovoked,” convened emergency security meetings, and imposed a 48-hour curfew in Jos North.
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