Bokkos, Plateau State — At least 14 people, including women and infants, were killed on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in a brutal ambush by suspected Fulani bandits along Chirang Road in Mangor District, shortly after leaving the popular Bokkos weekly market.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke to Daily Watch Nigeria, the victims had just concluded their trading activities in Bokkos town and were on their way home when armed attackers suddenly blocked the road and opened fire on the vehicle they were travelling in. Several passengers were reportedly killed instantly, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
A survivor who requested anonymity described the horrifying scene: “The gunmen were heavily armed. They came out of nowhere, blocked the road, and started shooting without any warning.”
The incident was confirmed in a statement on Friday by the Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Forum (BCDF), Farmasum Fuddang. He expressed deep shock that the attack occurred despite ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts between farming and herding communities in the area.
“The victims were returning from the weekly market in Bokkos town when their vehicle was ambushed. Victims included women and little babies,” Fuddang said.
He criticized the persistent violence in the region, which continues despite several interventions aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence. Fuddang also openly accused Fulani militias of being behind the ambush, alleging that the attack was part of a broader attempt to take control of Bokkos Local Government Area, widely known as Nigeria’s potato production hub.
“This violence occurs despite various so-called peace and reconciliation efforts,” he stated. “It is clear to us who is behind this, and we must not remain silent.”
The attack has reignited tensions in a region long plagued by recurring violence between herders and farming communities. Security agencies are yet to release an official statement on the incident, but residents are calling for urgent government intervention to prevent further bloodshed.
