Attacks: Doemak Community Demands Proactive Security, Stronger Border Protection
Our Reporter
The Doemak Development Association (DDA) has raised alarm over recurring banditry and attacks on vulnerable communities in Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, calling for a shift to intelligence-led, proactive security.
In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mr. Sabastine K. Dagot, on behalf of the President, Dr. John B. Dakagan, the association identified the affected communities as Bong, Ko’ok Bong, Lato’ok, and Nteng.
According to the DDA, the communities have suffered a pattern of killings, displacement, destruction of homes and farmlands, cattle rustling and disruption of livelihoods that demands sustained intelligence gathering, early intervention and a proactive security architecture.
The association strongly condemned the latest attack at Lato’ok Doemak on September 24, 2026, where over 60 cattle and more than 32 sheep were reportedly rustled.
They added that during the attack, one person was killed, a house was burnt down, and two others sustained gunshot injuries and are currently receiving treatment.
The group recalled that previous attacks in Nteng and environs in 2025 resulted in loss of lives, destruction of farmlands and farm produce, burning of over 30 houses, looting of property and displacement of over 4,000 farmers.
“In Bong, also in 2025, over 400 cows were rustled, leading to what the association described as a significant economic setback for families whose livelihoods depend on livestock and agriculture.”
It added that on January 1, 2026, armed assailants carried out a house-to-house attack in Ko’ok Bong, killing at least seven persons, injuring others and rustling cattle.
The DDA said the continuing security challenges are a consequence of failure to act proactively when it was needed.
“This syndrome is manifesting in Southern Plateau on our land and must not be domesticated,” the association said.
It alleged that criminal networks under pressure in Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs now invade Doemak communities as alternative sources of funding through kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities.
The association expressed concern over threat signals suggesting the possibility of further attacks, urging that such signals be taken seriously and subjected to immediate professional intelligence assessment.
While appreciating support from a few quarters, the DDA criticized what it described as the indifference of some political office holders, elected representatives, government appointees and aspiring politicians during crises.
“Our communities should not become politically important only when votes are required; the people need continuous representation, security advocacy and development engagement,” it stated.
The association called on the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government to urgently strengthen the security architecture along the Plateau-Nasarawa border, particularly around vulnerable communities and known movement corridors.
It specifically demanded strategic location of security formations, improved intelligence-sharing involving the community, surveillance of vulnerable routes and forests, and rapid-response capacity in the rugged terrain.
The DDA also urged rational deployment of scarce security resources, warning against duplicating security formations in areas with limited threats while highly vulnerable border communities remain inadequately protected.
“We call for a shift from condolence visits and post-attack promises to prevention, intelligence, presence and rapid response. Doemak must not become a funding ground, transit corridor, or soft target for criminal networks operating elsewhere,” the statement said.
The association further appealed to NGOs, humanitarian agencies, philanthropists and relevant government departments to intervene by providing alternative means of livelihood for victims who have been dispossessed of their sources of income.
“The safety of our people, protection of our ancestral lands, preservation of our farms and future of our children demand a preventive, intelligence-led and strategically positioned security architecture,” the DDA added.
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