By Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has condemned the recent killings in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, insisting they should be classified as terrorism and genocide, not farmer-herder clashes.
Speaking on Arise News’ The Morning Show, Dalung argued that labeling such violence as ethnic or communal conflicts downplays the scale and intent behind the attacks.
“The violence here isn’t a farmer-herder conflict; it’s terrorism. These groups have an enclave similar to those in the Northeast, where they steal cattle, seize land, and establish a parallel government in the bush,” he stated.
His comments come amid a surge in attacks in Plateau State, where the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) reported that suspected bandits killed over 10 people on Wednesday night, with the death toll rising to 52 by Saturday.
Dalung criticized the federal government’s handling of the crisis, calling the recently created Ministry of Livestock an ineffective distraction.
“If the political will to deal with the situation is there, these people will be given their rightful designation. They are terrorists,” he said.
He also dismissed security operatives’ claims that poor accessibility hindered their response.
“In a technologically-driven economy like ours, would the issue be that of access roads? What happened to drones, cameras, and other sophisticated intelligence-gathering gadgets?”
Dalung warned that failing to accurately label the crisis would embolden perpetrators and leave vulnerable communities at risk.
“We will continue to hear that the government is on top of the situation, while the criminals are truly on top of the situation,” he said.
