When the Community is Handicapped: The Bokkos Attacks and the Struggle for Security By Dominic Gwaman Datong Sunday 13th April, 2025. In the early hours and dusks of recent weeks, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State once again came under terrorist siege — a brutal reminder of the insecurity that continues to define rural life in Nigeria. Homes were torched, lives were lost, and entire communities were thrown into mourning. But this is no longer news. The tragedy is in its familiarity. These attacks follow a known pattern: surging during the planting season and peaking around harvest, when agrarian communities are most exposed. They are not isolated incidents; they are part of a recurring pattern of violence that both state and federal governments have struggled to address effectively. --- The Illusion of Shared Responsibility The mantra that “security is everyone’s business” has become a national cliché, often repeated but rarely interrogated. In reality, communit...