Group Calls On Govt To Return Over 950 Children Displaced During Bokkos Massacre To Their Homes

Manasseh Dandam

A non-governmental organization, NGO, with a specialty in girl child advocacy and vulnerable children living with disabilities, including trauma children in Nigeria, Rhoda Sanda has disclosed that over 950 internally displaced children during the massacre in 2023, at Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, are still helpless, and they are squatting with their relatives, which might lead them to another form of danger and abuse.

Speaking during the funfair dinner organized by the NGO in conjunction with Pastor O. Akinyemi ministries at New Layout COCIN, Bokkos LGA, Sanda called on the Plateau State and Federal government to secure the 11 villages that were sacked by militia groups on the eve of Christmas in 2023.

She said, generally the organization looks out for children, especially those that have been formed of abuse or other things, and they have gone through trauma to survive crises.

We are here in Bokkos today. I have been with these children for seven months since the aftermath of the massacre in December, Eve (24th), but their official training started in January, 2024. You see, these children were displaced from their ancestral homes. What happened on the eve of December 23 was that 11 villages came under attack.

According to her, the heartbroken drama attracted her to set up a learning program to engage them so that they don’t get to be roaming the streets without doing something tangible for their future, so that emotional attachment brought me closer.

Rhoda stressed that since these children suffered last year about the Christmas period, the organization set up a funfair dinner to prevent them from getting scared of Christmas, so we decided to come out with the initiative of a funfair for them since they could not enjoy it.

She emphasized that they came together in partnership with Pastor Bolaji and his crew, where they tagged it “joy to the world.” Despite the challenges that have been thrown at these children, we still want them to believe that the coming of Jesus Christ is actually the coming of joy to the world. Regardless of the happenings, we still celebrate.

Rhoda pointed out that Pastor Bolaji has been very key in promoting this program, and also the Obedience family nationwide; they all sent their own support morally and financially to demonstrate that they really care about the well-being of these children.

She added that we renewed their hope, trying to make them know that God is with them and everything will be fine to the glory of God.

Sanda revealed that the beneficiaries of the school learning program are 950 children who are due to stay in classes, including underage.

She maintained that the program had a breakdown and was discontinued for a short time before resuming back due to the funds to pay for the teachers.

Rhoda Sanda enjoined the government to help the children go back to their original villages by securing the homes because no matter the palliative we provide to them in terms of education and the rest, their home is their home—there’s no place like home.

She stated that their stay here in Bokkos town, perching with their relatives, can expose these children to different kinds of abuse or dangers, so the only plea is to the government to ensure that these destroyed villages are secure for the children to go home.