Fresh violence erupted in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night as armed bandits carried out coordinated assaults on the Jol community and Dorowa Babuje in the Rob District, leaving at least 10 people dead between 8.00pm and 9.00pm, according to local leaders.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYMA), Barrister Solomon Dalyop, disclosed this during a telephone interview with Channels Television in Jos. He said nine people were killed in Dorowa Babuje, while one person died in Jol in the separate but near-simultaneous attacks.
Dalyop stated that the assailants who struck Jol arrived on motorcycles from the Manga axis, despite prior warnings to security agencies about suspicious movements in the area.
He explained that personnel of Operation Rainbow, Plateau State’s security outfit, were already deployed and managed to repel the attackers, thereby minimising casualties.
In Dorowa Babuje, he said the gunmen emerged from the Jong-Wereh area, where they were believed to have been camped for some time. He added that the military was promptly alerted and responded swiftly, preventing the death toll from rising further.
“If not for the quick intervention of the military in Dorowa, the casualty figure would have been much higher. We must commend them for their swift response,” Dalyop stated.
Attempts to obtain an official response from the police were unsuccessful, as the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, did not answer calls as of press time. The Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue an official statement regarding the attacks.
The latest killings add to a troubling pattern of recurring violence in Riyom, one of Plateau State’s most volatile flashpoints, where farming communities have faced repeated night raids, ambushes and displacement in recent months.
Residents of Jol and Dorowa Babuje remain gripped by fear as families mourn their dead and urge authorities to maintain a sustained security presence to avert further bloodshed.
Meanwhile, youth groups and community leaders have renewed appeals to both the federal and state governments to implement long-term security and peacebuilding measures for Riyom and neighbouring communities.