A group, the Concerned Youths of Bokkos, has said that 61 communities in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau are affected by the security challenges currently bedevilling the state.

Dapet Otega, the leader of the group, disclosed this during a news conference on Wednesday in Jos.

Mr Otega, who decried the security situation in Bokkos and environs, said that gunmen killed scores, displaced many and destroyed properties worth millions across the locality.

“As we speak, 61 communities are affected by the current security situation in Bokkos.

“Some of these communities have been completely sacked by the gunmen and rendered our people homeless,” he said.

Mr Otega, who decried the rise in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bokkos, called on the federal and state governments to provide succour to IDPs.

He particularly called on the governments to introduce a resettlement plan that would enable the displaced persons to return to their original places of abode.

“Government at all levels to prioritise relief solutions over relief materials.

“The relief materials are essential to provide temporary solutions but do not address the major issues bothering vulnerable communities.

“We call on the government to empower communities with tools, skills and resources needed to rebuild and recover from the shocks of the attacks,” he called.

The leader further called on the state government to train local hunters and vigilante groups in the communities to assist, insisting that these categories of persons know their terrain better than the conventional security agencies.

He also called on the government to provide social amenities, such as schools, hospitals, roads, among others, to rural communities.

(NAN)