Eleven victims of a brutal bandit attack in Plateau State were laid to rest on Wednesday in a mass burial at Barkin Ladi, amid deep sorrow and anguish from grieving families and community members.
The attack, which occurred late Tuesday, targeted Rachas village in Heipang District and Rawuru village in Fan District—both in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area—leaving five children and six adults dead.
President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Solomon Dalyop, told Hobnob News that the attackers, suspected to be armed Fulani militia, launched simultaneous assaults on the two villages.
He identified the deceased as Chollom Danjuma (37), Sunday Gyang (27), Kefas Dung (28), Solomon Dung (40), Mrs. Christy Dung (3), Marvellous Pam (9), Davou Manam (25), Japheth Solomon (7), Mancha Monday (7), Nyam Chollom (5), and Maryann Mancha (10).
In a statement signed by Dalyop and the BYM Secretary, Bature Iliya Adazaram, the group condemned the killings as part of “a renewed wave of coordinated attacks” that have thrown Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs into mourning once again.
“The Berom Youth Movement is gravely saddened by this renewed wave of coordinated attacks that have plunged our communities into yet another round of bloodshed and inhumanity,” the statement read.
The association called on the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to act with fairness, professionalism, and neutrality to restore public trust and ensure justice for victims.
Within just one week, the association noted, 25 people have been killed — 12 in Fan, 11 in Heipang, and two in Wereng — describing it as “one of the darkest weeks in recent memory for the Berom Nation.”
BYM further reiterated its demand for a total ban on open grazing, particularly in areas without Fulani settlements, arguing that herding has been used as a “cover for terrorist elements to carry out attacks.”
The group warned that if authorities fail to protect residents, communities may be forced to resort to self-defence as constitutionally permitted.
“The gentility and peaceful disposition of Plateau people should not be mistaken for weakness,” the statement warned. “The government must act now to prevent further loss of innocent lives.”
The group also lamented the frequent rustling of cattle belonging to local natives, which it said often goes unreported, unlike similar incidents involving Fulani herders that receive swift national attention.
The BYM expressed condolences to the affected families and reaffirmed its commitment to justice and peace, insisting that “true peace can only be built on justice, equity, and fairness.”
