The Berom Youth Moulders (BYM) has confirmed the killing of three persons by suspected Fulani armed group on Sunday afternoon when they attacked the natives of Gwon village in Riyom LGA of Plateau State .
In a statement jointly signed by the national president, Barr. Solomon Mwantiri and secretary-general Bature Adazaram, they said three persons fall prey to the invaders who operated for over an hour.
But in swift reaction, the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Yusuf Babayo told our correspondent thatBYM’s claims were untrue..
Babayo lamented that whenever a crime is committed in the state, some people would be pointing accusing fingers at Fulani herdsmen. According to him, the Fulani are law-abiding and were also victims of the heinous attacks and cattle rustling in Plateau .
But BYM said the timely arrival of security forces including “Operation Safe Haven”, Agro Rangers and Mobile Police personnel prevented them from causing further harm as they repelled the attackers back to Bangai.
Those killed are Mr. Iliya Dariyan, Mr Sylvester Stephen and Mr. Sunday Alamba
The youths said, “We find it very appalling that unsuspecting Beroms have continued to be hunted down both in broad daylight and at night by bloodletting elements from Bangai and another terrorist enclave called, Rankum (renamed as “Mahanga”), wherefrom hundred armed bandits have been launching attacks and killings.”
According to BYM, the heinous crimes and terror attacks were being renewed strategically, threatening the existence of peace-loving people of Rim, Jol, Bachi, Tahoss, Nukur, Wereng-Camp, Wereng, Byei/Kum in Riyom LGA as well as Sagas, Nyarwei, Nding, Rawuru, Daruwat, NTV among others in Barkin Ladi LGA
They also lamented that while the burial of the aforementioned persons was holding, another group of the suspected terrorist elements laid ambush and hacked to dead one Mr. Sunday Alamba along Fang-Lwa Road in the Bachi District of Riyom LGA.
“In order to further display their obstinacy and determination to annihilate and overrun the remaining villages in the general area, another group of over 300 unleash a second round of armed invasion on Rim community while others were mischievously grazing on farmlands around Jol community which is now becoming unbearable”
The group said the tragic incident followed several killings and alarming destruction of crops in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos , Mangu and Bassa LGAs, where no day that passes without either clandestine or daylight terror is perpetrated.
It called on the state government toof urgency, rise to the occasion with kinetic approach against the terrorists.
“We are equally calling on Plateau State government to ban or create buffer zones against free/open grazing in order to guarantee food security otherwise hunger, starvation and avoidable poverty would inevitably set in.
“If the government continues to close eyes to these realities confronting us, we cannot guarantee peace despite the fact that the enemies of humanity have piled up more than enough arms and large quantum of ammunition with other advanced war gadgets to prosecute this declared war against humanity,” the group said.
BYM commended the rapid response to distress calls by the security agents eral area.
