A community leader in Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif, has urged Governor Caleb Mutfwang and members of the National Assembly from the state to join forces in addressing the rising wave of herdsmen attacks, particularly in the Mushere community.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday, Margif emphasized the urgent need for united political action to halt the continued killings by herdsmen and protect the lives of Plateau citizens.
Margif, the Waziri Mushere of Mushere Chiefdom in Bokkos Local Government Area, also appealed to the Federal Government and the international community to intervene swiftly and offer support to the affected communities.
He lamented that the attacks, often carried out during the farming season and amidst harsh weather conditions, had worsened the plight of victims, most of whom are rural farmers.
He revealed that several villages in Mushere Chiefdom—Kadim, Hokk, and Nawula, among others—had been devastated and overrun by armed herders.
“These attacks culminated in countless loss of lives, destruction of homes, displacement of inhabitants, whose lands were now occupied by the herders, depriving them access to their ancestral homes and livelihoods,” he said.
Margif called for urgent intervention from Governor Mutfwang, the Federal Government, lawmakers, security agencies, and global partners to end the violence, warning that the current scale of killings across Plateau State required swift and unified action.
He further noted that the herders seemed emboldened by the lack of a strong and effective response from authorities, resulting in the replication of killings and land takeovers across several communities in the state.
“As leaders, we cannot stand idly by while our people are being brutalized and our lands taken over. Our people cannot perish in silence; we must take decisive action to save them and restore peace and security,” he stated.
Margif added, “The cries of our people seem to fall on deaf ears, and it is imperative that we, as leaders, take urgent action to address this situation. The killings and land grabbing from one community to another is not a good testament to our leadership, so we must urgently and collectively intervene to stem the spread of bloodshed.”
