​​Bokkos, Plateau State – A farmer in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Mr. Kadiri Momoh, has fled his community after surviving a string of violent attacks by armed herdsmen who allegedly earmarked him for elimination following the killing of his neighbours and family members. 

Momoh, who narrated his ordeal, said he became a target because he consistently resisted the herders on the farms and openly opposed their attempt to sack and rename his village, as they had allegedly done in other communities. 

According to him, the attackers carried out systematic raids, burning houses, destroying farmlands, stealing livestock, and killing villagers, often with little or no response from security operatives. “I refused to give up my farmland when they threatened me. That was when they singled me out. I even recognized some of them during the attacks, and they vowed openly that they would eliminate me because I refused to leave. 

“I have since lost my home, my crops, and my livestock. Worse still, I lost neighbours and family members to their attacks,” he recounted. Momoh disclosed that in one of the raids, his father, Momoh Bello, his mother, Momoh Mariamu, and his two brothers, Momoh Mutari and Momoh Lukman, were killed alongside several neighbours.

He said the latest attack occurred in June when armed herdsmen invaded his village, killed his neighbour, and set houses ablaze while chanting that all farmers must die. Fearing for his life, he fled, abandoning everything he had worked for. He lamented that relocating within Nigeria was not an option, as herdsmen operate in many states and have often tracked down survivors they considered “defiant.” The farmer accused authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities despite repeated appeals for intervention.