By Sam Kayode
Mararaba Jama area of Plateau State and environs including government science school Kuru are on red alert as the active bandit militia is said to have been encircling the area from neighboring communities.
Most residents who have been designated as vigilante to watch the general area have vowed not to sleep this night as long as their tormentors and their militias will not stop their wrong doing.
Impeccable intelligence received from reliable sources alleged that “presently at as 8:33pm this night, there was high influx of Fulani militias on motorcycles moving from Mahanga, Guava and Exland to attack either Kwi, Heipang, Hassa Wereng or any of the bordering villages”
Meanwhile 21 persons were killed while several others were injured on Sunday during coordinated attacks by bandit militias on residents of Rim, Jol, Kwi Communities of Riyom council area.
The same attacks took place in Gana-Ropp Community in Barkin Ladi council area of the state.
Two persons were killed in Rim village of Riyom council area, 7 killed in Jol, 11 in Kwi while a Clergyman, Reverend Nichodemus Kim was killed in Gana-Ropp Barkin Ladi council area.
The attacks on Rim, Jol and Kwi were simultaneously coordinated by the terrorists between the hours of 2pm and 7pm broad day light on Sunday.
In Kwi, an entire Community, Hei-gwe was completely burnt down and over a hundred farmlands destroyed.
In Gana-Ropp, the Clergyman, Reverend Nichodemus Kim with the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) was attacked at about 8pm at home and the militias opened fire on him.
It is a great concern that these Communities especially, Rim, Jol and Kwi have come down with attacks severally in the last two weeks, yet, Sunday’s attack went on for hours without the intervention of the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven-OPSH.
More worrisome is the fact that Mahanga which is the base of those terrorising the communities is known, yet, no effort has been made by security personnel to raid the place, it was observed.
Also, for over a decade now, the Special Task Force in the state has not been able to effectively address the killings in the state.
“This has left us with concerns and questions as to if Government can still keep to it’s primary responsibility of safeguarding lives and property.” said Rwang Tengwong who spoke for the communities involved through a release.
“The Birom Youth Movement ((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.
“We call on the new administration both at Federal and state level to come up with new strategies to address the security situation in the country and particularly, in Plateau State.
” Security personnel must also wake up to their statutory responsibility to safeguard lives and property.
” The BYM equally call on the Berom nation to remain calm and law abiding in all these, but must explore every avenue to defend our Communities as we cannot sit and watch while we are killed one after another.” said Rwang Tengwong National Publicity Secretary
BYM.
