Zagazola raises alarm over another possible reprisal attacks in Plateau, urges Govt. to act
By: Zagazola Makama
Security analyst Zagazola Makama has raised the alarm over another looming wave of reprisal attacks in parts of Plateau State, warning that failure to act urgently on intelligence reports could plunge the state into another round of deadly violence.
Credible intelligence indicated that armed groups were mobilising for coordinated attacks in the Fan and Foron axis, following the rustling of dozens of cattle from the Ganawuri, Vom and Riyom areas.
He said the groups had allegedly identified locations where the stolen cattle were being kept in the Foron/Fan corridor and were planning daring, simultaneous strikes to recover them, a move he warned could result in heavy casualties and destabilise large parts of the state.
According to him, the Mangu–Barkin Ladi boundary and the Bisichi–Foron corridor are emerging as critical flashpoints that require round-the-clock surveillance and patrols.
“The danger signs are clear. There is a risk that reprisals could happen at any moment if urgent preventive measures are not taken,” Makama said.
He urged the Federal Government and national security agencies to intervene decisively and ensure the immediate recovery and release of rustled cattle, stressing that cattle theft has repeatedly served as the spark for wider communal violence in Plateau.
Makama also called on the Plateau State Government to abandon what he described as a “conspiracy of silence” over the issue and to act transparently in de-escalating tensions.
For long, the political government in Plateau is treating dialogue with Fulani communities as “selling out,” rather than as a necessary step toward de-escalation and peace-building.
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In Plateau, there are two types of bandits; those from within who the state government empowered to protect their lands but turned it into a criminal franchise and the bandits that carry out reprisals attacks following lost of their livestock.
There is always a dangerous silence around this matter while lives are at risk. The priority must be prevention, recover the cattle, protect all communities and stop any reprisal before it starts.
The state must come out clean, first, it must demonstrate zero tolerance against its own militia activity as well as other criminals profiteering from rustling. Failure to act quickly could make the state government appear complicit in what is going on by omission, and that would only deepen grievances and crises.
Lives are being wasted on daily basis while the state government looks away. While the media continue to mask it as a “Genocide”. If this is not handled quickly and fairly, the consequences ahead could be catastrophic.
Zagazola further advised sustained non-kinetic engagements with community leaders of both warring parties alongside intelligence-driven operations, to prevent surprise attacks and dismantle militia networks in the affected areas.
The continued reliance on force alone, without parallel political and social engagement, had failed to address the root causes of the crises.
Therefore, the Plateau State Government should immediately convene broad-based dialogue involving traditional rulers, youth groups, women’s organisations, farmers, pastoralists and security agencies to chart a new path to peace.
They must know that peace cannot be achieved by bullets alone. It requires listening, fairness and courage to talk to those we disagree with.
Plateau people deserved leadership that would prioritise lives over politics and action over silence. ACT NOW!!!!