Youths Council protest as gunmen kill 58, burn 82 houses in Plateau

Youths in Plateau State have decried the killing of citizens in attacks by gunmen particularly in the Riyom Local Government Area of the state

Addressing a press conference in Jos, the state capital, on Tuesday, the chairman of the Plateau Youth Council, Riyom branch, Zang Davou, disclosed that a total of 58 persons were killed while 82 houses were burnt down by the attackers in various communities within the council area in the past weeks.

The group described the situation in Riyom as a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people displaced, injured, or killed.

It appealed for urgent humanitarian intervention, including relief materials, medical supplies, and psychosocial support.

Also, it urged the government, international community, and human rights organisations to take immediate action to address the crisis, emphasising that the silence on the systematic annihilation of communities in Riyom is “deafening” and called for firm attention, advocacy, and intervention

The youth leader who demanded a massive deployment of security forces, particularly the Nigeria Mobile Police Force to vulnerable communities in Riyom as a way of addressing the issue said, “For over two decades, since 2002, Riyom Local Government Area has been subjected to a relentless and systematic campaign of violence, solely perpetrated and orchestrated by armed Fulani militias.

“This dreaded campaign has been mostly characterised by unprovoked attacks, resulting in the senseless and brutal murder of thousands of our people in cold blood. Our once thriving communities have been reduced to rubble, with properties worth billions of naira utterly destroyed and the very sources of our people’s livelihoods, particularly our farmlands, deliberately annihilated and in some cases rendered completely unproductive. This orchestrated violence has also led to the brazen grabbing of our ancestral lands with no attempts for reversal despite the existence of several legal frameworks to address the same. The marauding activities of these armed militias have continued to dispossess indigenous communities of their heritage and means of survival, displacing several more thousands of our people into lives of destitution and uncertainty.

“Lamentably, the pattern of these attacks has recently escalated to an unprecedented level of coordination and sophistication. What we have witnessed as a people in the past weeks is horrifying evidence of this escalating barbarity. Within this short period, 58 innocent people were brutally murdered in cold blood. These were fathers, mothers, children, and youths, whose lives were cut short without mercy. As I address you, these marauders are in possession of the cellphones of some of their victims and pick up calls that are placed on their SIMs.”

He disclosed that 31 people were severely injured and were currently battling for their lives, receiving treatment in various hospitals where many were struggling with inadequate resources for better medical care, lamenting that the economic and social fabric of the communities had been further torn apart, with over 82 houses and properties worth millions of naira deliberately burnt and destroyed.

“Beyond the immediate physical destruction, large hectares of our cultivated farmlands, representing the very essence of our people’s sustenance, have been mowed down and decimated. The consequence of this recent surge of violence alone has led to the displacement of more than 15,000 people, who are now living in precarious conditions, without shelter, food, or dignity.

“While we acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of security agencies and governments at all levels (local, state, and federal) in curbing these attacks, it is imperative to state unequivocally that such efforts, however commendable, cannot be seen as enough. Our governments need to understand that the magnitude of the problem Riyom Local Government is facing far outweighs their current response. The primary responsibility of government, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), is the protection of lives and property, and the welfare of its citizens. In Riyom, this fundamental responsibility is being severely challenged, and the lives and livelihoods of our people remain gravely imperiled.

“The youth of Riyom are resilient, but our resilience is being tested to its limits. We are tired of burying our loved ones whose lives are cut short by armed Fulani militias. We are tired of seeing our heritage destroyed and annihilated. We are tired of living in fear. We believe in the promise of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria, and that peace must begin in our homes, our communities, and our local government areas.”

Punch