BREAKING: Dozens Missing in Central Nigeria as Terrorists Advance Along Plateau-Nasarawa Border

By Masara Kim

JOS–More than 20 civilians are missing following a brutal assault in Plateau State that left at least 12 people dead and several others injured, TruthNigeria has learned. The attack on Monday, August 18, targeted a cluster of villages near the State’s southern border with Nasarawa State, where terrorists have seized numerous civilian communities, displacing thousands in recent months, according to local leaders and lawmakers speaking to TruthNigeria.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, urged citizens on Thursday, August 21, to acquire combat skills to defend against foreign-funded terrorists he claims aim to destabilize the country and seize power.

“Self-defense is very important,” General Musa stated during a live TV interview. “Whether we are in a war or not, it is a survival instinct,” he emphasized.

“These are things we should never take for granted because they prepare you for the future. The world we are in now is dangerous. We have individuals who don’t mean people well. They kill for whatever reason,” he noted, attributing the motivations for attacks in the northern region to a shared agenda among ‘criminals’.

“Criminals, both bandits and terrorists, work together. They have a common goal to make money and destabilise communities,” he said.

Musa’s comments came in the wake of two major attacks that claimed over 40 lives in Plateau and Katsina States on August 18. While the incident in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina, which resulted in more than 30 deaths, made headlines, the Plateau State attacks went largely unreported despite their severe impact, killing 12 and displacing over 3,000 residents on the same day according to locals. Witnesses tell TruthNigeria armed terrorists on an estimated 100 motorcycles invaded a cluster villages known as Chakfem, located 55-60 miles southeast of Jos, the state capital. They operated for several hours without military intervention, despite troops being just 30 minutes away, according to tribal leader Mathias Sohotden who is a resident of Chakfem.

“They began around 8 PM on Monday and continued until approximately 3 AM the following day,” Sohotden told TruthNigeria. “They split into groups and simultaneously invaded eight communities, shooting and burning homes,” he said, noting civilian guards managed to slow the attacks but were overpowered, leading to 12 fatalities, including infants, and the displacement of over 3,000 residents.

“We still cannot account for more than 20 people,” Sohotden said. “We’ve searched for them but have yet to find any useful information about their whereabouts,” he said.

TruthNigeria learned that the affected villages in the Mangu County include Tim, Koppang, Midigin, Jilem, Jibilang, Manden, Jibin, and Tilleng, all located approximately 10 miles from the southern Plateau State border with Nasarawa. The region has faced relentless terrorist attacks in recent times, with local leaders alleging mass village takeovers by terrorists crossing from Nasarawa.

During a press conference on August 19, youth leaders from neighboring Bokkos County reported ongoing assaults on 61 local villages, with at least 11 completely overrun by terrorists from the wooded Nasarawa border.

“These attacks are often premeditated and targeted, with the Fulani militants seeking to intimidate, displace, or annihilate communities,” said their spokesman Dapet Christopher.

“With our own eyes, we have witnessed innocent families of various sizes being wiped out,” Christopher stated. “The motivations for these attacks are complex, but we are certain that ethnicity, religious expansion, and land grabbing play significant roles,” he added, condemning the characterization of the violence as mere clashes between farmers and herders.

The latest attack in Chakfem where dozens have died in related attacks recently, follows a similar pattern.

“They have completely seized control of villages like Jilem, Koppang, and Kabung in Chakfem,” said Sohotden, indicating the latest assault aimed to expand their territorial reach.

State Assemblyman Matthew Kwarpo concurred, noting that terrorists have encircled Mangu County, pushing further toward the county seat. “They have sworn to take over the entire Chakfem chiefdom,” Kwarpo told TruthNigeria. “This area shares boundaries with Quanpan and Nasarawa State. They typically come from Nasarawa and are advancing toward the county seat,” said Kwarpo who represents Mangu at the Plateau State House of Assembly.

“They started from the east of Mangu, near Pushit, which borders Pankshin and Kanke in Plateau State, as well as Bauchi State. They have seized some of our villages in Panyam, including Kombli, while occupying Changal and Washna, and forcefully taking over Tiyop,” Kwarpo added.

“They have systematically taken control of all lands belonging to our people along the borders and are moving closer to the local government seat,” he said, while criticizing the military’s response.

“What is most disturbing is that the nearest military post is only a few minutes away from where these atrocities are occurring, yet they remain ineffective. It’s unimaginable that someone can come to kill us, and no one takes action,” he stated.

In contrast, Kyesmang Jonathan, the youth leader of the Mwagavul tribe dominating Mangu, commended the military and police for their ‘intervention’ during the August 18 attack, attributing the slow response to challenging terrain.

“The Mwaghavul Youth Movement is grateful to the security personnel whose swift actions prevented further bloodshed and destruction,” Kyesmang noted in a press statement.

Officials from Operation Safe Haven, a joint military task force in Plateau State, are not responding to queries from TruthNigeria. However, during a town hall meeting in Jos on August 21, task force commander Major General Folusho Oyinlola attributed the lack of military presence in affected areas to manpower shortages.

“The regions where these incidents occur are vast,” Gen. Oyinlola said. “We cannot place security personnel in every single location. And even if we could, these incidents will continue until we all agree to stop the killings,” he said, reiterating the controversial farmer-herder clash narrative, contradicting Chief of Defence Staff Musa’s statement.

“As the commander of Operation Safe Haven, I assure everyone that we will act justly, equitably, and fairly to everyone,” Oyinlola concluded.