Plateau State was known as the “Home of Peace and Tourism” a little over two decades ago. This slogan was coined as a result of the tranquil atmosphere that dominated the state.
Plateau State was known as a serene haven that drew tourists from both within and beyond the country because people and visitors coexisted peacefully.
But all of that has been severely challenged by years of persistent and deadly conflicts that have gone by a variety of names, including ethno-religious conflicts, farmer-herder clashes, land grabbing, and, most recently, Christian genocide and an attempt by Islamist extremists and terrorists to Islamize the state.
The most significant violence that shook the state to its core occurred in 2001, when an estimated 1000 people were killed in an ethno-religious conflict, and since then, every other year has seen different forms of violence, transforming the once peaceful state into a killing field.
Plateau State has seen severe long-term violence over the years, resulting in over 10,000 deaths, billions of naira in property destruction, and hundreds of thousands displaced, who are now living in displaced peoples’ camps.
The violent attacks appear to have shifted to local communities, with attackers frequently labelled as Fulani militias and terrorists inflicting devastation on them.
Lands have been taken over, many have been slain and displaced in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Kanam, Wase, Riyom, Bassa, Mangu, Jos South and East local government areas, and despite efforts by successive governments, these violent attacks continue.
From 2001 until the present, no year has been more terrible than 2025, when hundreds of innocent lives were lost in those attacks, particularly in remote villages of Plateau State.