In a series of coordinated attacks by persons suspected to be militias, twenty-one individuals lost their lives and several others sustained injuries on Sunday. The targeted communities included Rim, Jol, and Kwi in Riyom LGA, as well as Gana-Ropp Community in Barkin Ladi LGA.
Tragedy struck as two people were killed in Rim village of Riyom Local Government Area, while seven lost their lives in Jol and eleven in Kwi. In Barkin Ladi LGA, Reverend Nichodemus Kim, a clergyman from the Church of Christ In Nations, fell victim to the violence in Gana-Ropp.
The attacks on Rim, Jol, and Kwi were executed simultaneously by the terrorists between the hours of 2pm and 7pm. The community of Hei-gwe in Kwi was particularly devastated, as the entire village was burned down, and over a hundred farmlands were destroyed.
In the case of Gana-Ropp, Reverend Nichodemus Kim was targeted at his home around 8pm, with the armed militias opening fire on him. Disturbingly, these communities, especially Rim, Jol, and Kwi, have experienced multiple attacks in recent weeks. Yet, during Sunday’s prolonged attack, the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven-OPSH, failed to intervene.
The lack of action by security personnel is particularly alarming, as the base of the perpetrators, Mahanga, is known, yet no effort has been made to raid the area. Furthermore, the Special Task Force has not effectively addressed the recurring killings in the state for over a decade, raising concerns about the government’s ability to fulfill its primary responsibility of safeguarding lives and property.
Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, Esq., the leader of the Berom Youth Movement (BYM), strongly condemns these coordinated attacks and other acts of aggression against innocent individuals in Plateau State following the 2023 General Elections. The BYM calls on the new administrations at both the federal and state levels to develop new strategies to address the security situation in the country, with a particular focus on Plateau State.
The BYM emphasizes the urgent need for security personnel to fulfill their statutory duty of safeguarding lives and property. In these trying times, the Berom nation is urged to remain calm and law-abiding. However, the BYM also emphasizes the importance of exploring every possible avenue to defend the communities, as they refuse to stand idly by while their people are continuously targeted and killed.
