No fewer than eight people were killed in a fresh attack on the Wereng Camp community in the Riyom Local Area of Plateau State.
Chronicle NG gathered on Thursday that four others were earlier killed in the neighbouring Chido community, bringing the total number of those killed in the past two days to 12.
The Liaison Officer to Governor Caleb Mutfwang for the Riyom State constituency, Timothy Dantong, confirmed the killings in Jos, Plateau State on Thursday, alleging deceit by the attackers.
According to Dantong, the attack began on Tuesday when suspected Fulani gunmen killed four people, whose bodies were buried on Wednesday.
He stated that the attackers allegedly claimed their cows were killed, prompting security men to engage in dialogue and request that they withdraw while investigations were conducted.
He also mentioned that the attackers returned on Wednesday night, killing eight more people after deceiving security personnel into withdrawing from the area.
Dantong said, “I’m right now at the Wereng Camp community in Riyom. We have four people who were buried yesterday (Wednesday) after they were killed the previous day (Tuesday). The Fulani are the ones who killed them. Yesterday, the killers returned and killed eight people. Nine people were attacked, but one survived and is presently receiving treatment at the hospital.
“As it is, there is the presence of security men because yesterday (Wednesday) the Fulani people alleged that their cows were killed, and the security men came and talked to them in the afternoon and asked them to withdraw so that dialogue could commence and investigate whether or not their cows were killed. And then, they agreed to withdraw. I think they just did that to deceive the security men into going.
“So, when the security men left the community, they came in the night and attacked the community, burnt their houses and killed eight persons. The attackers took advantage of the security withdrawal to launch a nighttime assault on the community, burning houses and killing eight people. Nine others were attacked, but one survivor is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.”
The National President of the Berom Youths Association, Solomon Dalyop, who also spoke on the attack, said, “At about 7:00 pm last night (Wednesday), more than 200 armed men suspected to be Fulani militants and bandits from Fass and other Fulani settlements within and outside Riyom LGA attacked Wereng-Camp village of Riyom. As a result, eight people were shot dead, one injured, and all houses were razed within two hours of ceaseless gunfire until security agents arrived.
The spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached when phoned by our correspondent, as his phone indicated switched off.
However, security sources at Jos police headquarters informed our reporter that a security conference with stakeholders in the affected council areas on how to address the issue was still in progress at the time of writing.
The attack in Wereng Camp is the latest in a series of horrific killings by gunmen in numerous Plateau settlements, with severe loss of life and property.
Concerned about this tragic situation, Plateau State Governor Mutfwang urged the Federal Government to act and aid in stopping the attacks on citizens.
The Plateau state governor also took preemptive efforts to address the attacks on rural areas, establishing limitations on motorbike use from 7 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. across the state until further notice.
He also prohibited night grazing and promised to carry out the previous administration’s anti-land-grabbing legislation.
