Youths in Plateau State have lamented the death of residents in attacks by gunmen, especially in the state’s Riyom Local Government Area.
Addressing a press conference in Jos, the state capital, on Tuesday, Zang Davou, chairman of the Plateau Youth Council, Riyom branch, revealed that the attackers killed 58 people and burnt down 82 houses in various communities within the council area in recent weeks.
The group called the situation in Riyom a humanitarian disaster, with thousands of people displaced, injured, or killed.
It called for immediate humanitarian assistance, including relief items, medical supplies, and psychosocial support.
Furthermore, it encouraged the government, the international community, and human rights organisations to take prompt action to solve the problem, underlining that the silence on the systematic annihilation of communities in Riyom is “deafening” and calling for firm attention, advocacy, and involvement.
The youth leader, who sought a huge deployment of security forces, particularly the Nigeria Mobile Police Force, to vulnerable communities in Riyom to solve the issue, said, “For over two decades, since 2002, the 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 at 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 revealed that 31 people had been severely injured and were currently fighting for their lives, receiving treatment in various hospitals where many were struggling with insufficient resources for better medical care, and lamented that the economic and social fabric of the communities had been further torn apart, with over 82 houses and properties worth millions of naira intentionally 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 imperilled.
“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.”
