No fewer than 21 persons were killed and several others injured on Sunday during coordinated attacks by terrorists on residents of Rim, Jol, Kwi communities of Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) as well as Gana-Ropp community in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State.
Sources confirmed that during the attacks, that two people were killed in Rim village, seven in Jol, eleven in Kwi all in Riyom LGA; while a clergyman, Reverend Nichodemus Kim was killed in Gana-Ropp community of Barkin Ladi LGA of the State.
A source noted that the the attacks on Rim, Jol and Kwi were simultaneously coordinated by the terrorists between the hours of 2pm and 7pm.
Said another source: “In Kwi, an entire community, Hei-gwe was completely burned down and over a hundred farmlands were destroyed.”
Still another source stated that in Gana-Ropp, Reverend Nichodemus Kim, a Pastor superintending the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in the area was attacked at about 8pm at home as the terrorists opened fire on him.
Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Comrade Rwang Tengwong, said: “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 BYM, 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 BYM 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.
