How bandits seized our community, changed village name, converted church to mosque – Plateau farmer reveals

Tension and uncertainty have gripped Mushere Chiefdom in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State after suspected bandits reportedly overran a community, forcing residents to abandon their homes and farmlands.

According to local sources, the heavily armed attackers stormed the village and took control of the area, leaving families with no choice but to flee for their safety.

In a disturbing twist, the assailants were said to have changed the identity of the settlement after seizing it. Residents alleged that the attackers renamed the village and converted the local church into a mosque, further deepening fears that the occupation was intended to permanently alter the community’s structure and heritage.

A community leader, Amos Gyang, revealed this while speaking at a charity event organised by the Plateau Unite Foundation in Jos on Sunday. He explained that the invasion happened last year and was carried out by armed Fulani bandits.

According to him, the attack came as a shock to the people, who had lived peacefully with Fulani settlers in the area for years.

He said the bandits stormed the village without warning, killed more than 10 residents and took control of the community.

Gyang said many survivors are now scattered across displacement camps, struggling to survive in poor conditions. Some families, he added, have been forced to beg in order to feed their children.

He described how the attackers seized farms, animals and homes after pushing everyone out of the village. He also said the renaming of the community and the conversion of the church symbolised a complete takeover of their ancestral land.

“We were living in peace, going about our businesses because most of our people are farmers. But in September of 2025, we experienced the worst when Fulani bandits suddenly attacked our village,” Gyang said.

“Before the attack, we did not have any issues with them because some of them had lived with us for several years and even spoke our language. We took them as our brothers, not knowing that they had bad plans for us.

“Those terrorists who attacked our village were armed with deadly weapons and killed over 10 people while forcing everyone to flee for safety. They took over our land, farms, livestock, and most painfully, changed the name of the village and turned our church into a mosque.

“As I stand here before you, many of our people are living in IDP camps facing horrendous conditions while our fertile land is being occupied by the Fulani. We have now become beggars just to feed our families.

“We have called on the government several times to come to our aid but all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears because we do not have anyone to fight for us. But we believe that one day, our prayers will be answered and we will go back to our ancestral land.”

However, he appealed to the state and federal governments to intervene and help restore the community to its rightful owners. He also called for stronger security presence in the area to prevent further attacks.