The Bokkos Cultural Development Forum (BCDF Vanguard) has raised urgent concerns over what it describes as an imminent takeover of Plateau State by terrorists and armed Fulani militia gangs.

In a strongly worded statement issued after an emergency meeting in Jos on Friday, the group highlighted sustained attacks in Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom, and Bassa over the past four months, saying the violence appears to be part of a coordinated plan to seize control of the state’s key food-producing areas.

According to BCDF Vanguard, these attacks have left hundreds dead and forced thousands from their homes. The group warned that terrorists now roam freely in conquered communities, targeting both civilians and security personnel.

“It has been four months since over 50 of our members were brutally slaughtered in Hurti village, Manguna district, in just one day,” the statement read. “Since then, more than 100 lives have been lost, millions of dollars’ worth of property destroyed, and crops wiped out across thousands of acres.”

The group reported that at least ten villages have been completely deserted, with attackers looting homes and destroying food storage facilities. In the last four days alone, two people were killed and over 15 injured in Mushere district, affecting villages like Dimar, Hokk, Margif, Kopmur, Nina, Ikgngwaghap, and Fokholdep.

BCDF Vanguard fears that the attackers aim to drive surviving residents away, paving the way for full occupation. They also warned that if this trend continues, Plateau could become a corridor for terrorists fleeing military operations in the northwest and northeast to establish camps in the state.

The statement accused authorities of ignoring a long-standing pattern of land grabs and ethnic displacement, citing the 2015 displacement of Lukfai town as an example. It also noted that civilian guards trying to defend their communities are being overwhelmed — sometimes even by military forces.

The group called on Governor Caleb Mutfwang to act urgently, urging the creation of a joint civilian task force to work alongside the military, as is done in other parts of the country. They also demanded the government’s newly constituted land use committee intervene to stop what they described as “criminality and rights violations” before the entire state is engulfed.