Community Leader Alleges Fulani Bandits Plot to Seize Ancestral Lands in Plateau State

A community leader in Chakfem Chiefdom, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Da Simon Takbang, has raised concerns over what he described as calculated attempts by Fulani bandits to seize and occupy their ancestral lands. Speaking at a press conference in Jos on Friday, Takbang—who also serves as the President of the Chakfem Youth Movement—lamented a recent attack on Monday that left over 15 people dead and displaced more than 2,000 residents forced to flee for their safety.

He recounted how over 1,000 heavily armed assailants stormed several villages in the chiefdom—including Manden, Tim, Mhidihin, Jibin, Jiblang, Koppang, and Jilem—opening fire on sleeping residents. The attackers reportedly set homes and religious centers ablaze, looted silos, stole livestock, and destroyed property worth millions of Naira. Among the victims were a four-month-old infant, Yilshwal Godwin; an 80-year-old grandmother, Na Rifkatu Katde; and other residents aged between 26 and 81.

Takbang asserted that the assaults were not random but deliberate and strategically planned to dispossess the people of Chakfem of their land and heritage. He acknowledged the timely intervention of government forces, whose deployment helped curb further destruction, as well as the relief materials provided to support displaced victims. “This reassures us that we are not completely forgotten,” he stated.

The community leader, however, stressed the urgent need for a permanent security presence in the area, citing difficult terrain that hinders swift emergency responses. He appealed to both state and federal authorities to improve road infrastructure, rebuild destroyed communities, and ensure justice by apprehending those responsible for the violence.