Six persons were reportedly killed and two others injured on Sunday night in coordinated attacks suspected to have been orchestrated by armed Fulani militias who invaded the Wereng Community and Bachi District of Riyom Local Government Area as well as Tapo village of Heipang District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, in a statement Monday, two persons were killed in Wereng village while the other four persons were killed in Tapo village of Heipang in Barkin Ladi.
The attacks, Tengwong said, were simultaneously coordinated and took place between 8pm and 10pm.
“In Wereng, a household was attacked leaving one person dead and the other ambushed on his way to Kwi Community. On the other hand in Tapo, nine youths were ambushed on their way killing four while five escaped,” he said.
“The survivors said the attackers, who spoke Fulfude, laid an ambush at Tapo forest, sporadically open gunfire at us when the unsuspecting youths were returning home from Heipang, the District Headquarters.
“Among those killed include a 24-year-old student of Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi campus by name Tapshak Guwus, who have been buried in their respective communities.
“This is contrary to a statement credited to the spokesman of the Military Task Force, Captain Oya James, that the attack in Barkin Ladi was as a result of a clash between two communities in the area.
“It is sad that when Tapo was attacked, distress calls reached out to Vigilante, Police and the Operation Safe Haven-OPSH, the Vigilante and Police personnel responded immediately to the scene, but the OPSH outrightly declined until at about 8:00am of today, Monday with no convincing moral justification for not responding, which is quite unusual of its previous responses to situations as this.
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“This has left the land in wonder as to the change in the leadership of the agency that had received a lot of commendations including awards for its unbiased disposition in attending to any form of conflict including insurrection.
“It’s worthy of mention that the terrorist elements are believed to have infiltrated our bushes as another dastardly act of ambush was meted out on Rev. Gwong Dachollom of Darwat at about 3:00pm along Darwat-Wereng Camp route, where he was hacked and his motorcycle carted away the the attackers, and is presently receiving medical attention at Vom Christian Hospital though the Motorcycle was later on recovered.
“The BYM under the leadership of Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, Esq. hereby condemns the coordinated attacks and other forms of provocation meted out on innocent persons of Plateau since after the 2023 General Elections.
“This is despite the frantic efforts made by Plateau State Government and other peace actors to bring about lasting peace and harmonious coexistence in the State.
“It is sad that Barkin Ladi LGA is witnessing another theatre of resurgence immediately after the exit of Col. MD Abdulsalam who was celebrated by all persons for achieving peace for over two years as the Sector 4 Commander.
“We call on security bodies, especially the OPSH to wake up to its statutory responsibility as posterity will judge everyone about his/her role on Earth,” Tengwong concluded.
