Coordinated attacks by yet-to-be identified gunmen on residents of Rim, Jol, Kwi communities of Riyom LGA as well as Gana-Ropp community in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State on Sunday, left over 21 persons dead and several others injured.
Two persons, it was gathered, were killed in Rim village, seven in Jol, eleven in Kwi all in Riyom LGA; while a clergyman, Rev. Nichodemus Kim was killed in Gana-Ropp community of Barkin Ladi LGA of the state.
The attacks on Rim, Jol and Kwi, it was also learnt, were simultaneously coordinated by the terrorists between the hours of 2:00pm and 7:00pm.
Said a source: “In Kwi, an entire community, Hei-gwe, was completely burned down and over a hundred farmlands were destroyed”.
Another source disclosed that in Gana-Ropp, Rev. Nichodemus Kim with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) was attacked at about 8:00pm at home and the assailants opened fire on him.
Said Comrade Rwang Tengwong, National Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYMA) in reaction to the incident: “It is a great concern that these communities, especially, Rim, Jol and Kwi have come under several attacks in the last two weeks, yet, Sunday 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 these communities, is known, yet, no effort has been made by security personnel to raid the place.
“Also, for over a decade now, the Special Task Force in the state has not addressed these killings in the state.
“The BYMA, under the leadership of Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, hereby condemns the coordinated attacks and other forms of provocation meted out on innocent people of Plateau since the 2023 general elections.
“We call on the new administration both at the federal and state levels 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 BYMA equally called on the Berom nation to remain calm and law-abiding in all these.
The group, however, urged its members to explore every avenue to defend their communities, as they could not sit and watch while they are killed one after another.
