Plateau Residents Demand Military Withdrawal Amid Persistent Killings Despite Security Presence

By Tgnews Reporter

Angry indigenes in parts of Plateau State have staged fierce protests, openly demanding the immediate exit of Nigerian military personnel from their communities over what they describe as failure to protect them from repeated attacks by suspected Fulani gunmen.

The latest demonstration occurred on Monday in Gashish community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where a group of women took to the streets and destroyed a military checkpoint. Protesters expressed deep frustration, claiming that despite the heavy presence of soldiers, killings and insecurity have continued unabated in the area.

“The soldiers are here, yet we are still dying. If they cannot protect us, they should leave our land,” said Mercy Dachung, a mother of four, during the protest.

Similar sentiments have echoed across affected communities in Barkin Ladi and other parts of the state, where residents accuse security forces of either being ineffective or complicit in the ongoing violence. Protesters argue that the military checkpoints, meant to provide security, have failed to stem the tide of attacks blamed on Fulani militants.

Plateau State has long been plagued by farmer-herder clashes, often escalating into deadly ethnic and religious violence. In recent months, several communities have reported fresh incidents of killings, with gunmen raiding villages, destroying farmlands, and displacing residents.

Many indigenes, particularly from Berom and other indigenous groups, insist the attacks follow a pattern of targeted aggression despite military deployment under operations like Operation Safe Haven.

Community leaders and protesters have repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of the security architecture in the state. “We have suffered for too long in the hands of these attackers whom we know to be Fulani herdsmen. For how long shall we continue to be killed without anything being done to stop them?” one resident lamented in an earlier protest.

The protests come against the backdrop of broader insecurity in the North-Central region, where farmer-herder conflicts have claimed hundreds of lives over the years. Residents claim that despite alerts and intelligence shared with security agencies, attacks often occur with little or no preventive action, leading to growing loss of confidence in the military.

Some community members have gone as far as accusing security operatives of bias or negligence, with reports of soldiers allegedly prioritizing the protection of livestock over human lives in certain incidents.

No official arrests of attackers have been widely reported in many of the recent cases, further fuelling anger.

The Plateau State Government and security authorities are yet to issue a detailed response to the latest protests and the destruction of the checkpoint. However, military sources have in the past maintained that troops are working round the clock to restore peace and have arrested suspects linked to some attacks.

As tension remains high in Barkin Ladi and surrounding areas, stakeholders urge the federal and state governments to engage directly with affected communities, strengthen intelligence gathering, and ensure accountability within security operations to prevent further escalation.

The situation in Plateau State continues to draw national attention, highlighting the persistent challenge of curbing violence in Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt region.