By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
The Plateau Youth Council (PYC), Northern Zone, has raised alarm over what it described as a coordinated pattern of violent attacks on rural communities in Bassa and Riyom Local Government Areas, coinciding with the start of the wet farming season.
Addressing journalists on Saturday at the NUJ Press Centre in Jos, the PYC Northern Zone Coordinator, Comrade Samson Y. Chiroma, said the timing of the attacks suggested a deliberate effort to displace indigenous farmers and plunge affected communities into economic despair.
He stated: “The attack in Bassa lasted over an hour and a half, from 12:00am to 1:30am, and over 51 people were killed. In Riyom, two more lives were lost shortly after.
“Why do these attacks always occur just as the wet season begins? Is it not an attempt to prevent our people from farming and drive them into economic misery?
“Our people are known for farming and no amount of violence will deter us from cultivating our land. Those who think they can intimidate us into abandoning our ancestral lands have failed already.”
Chiroma accused armed Fulani militias of carrying out the latest incidents, rejecting the federal government’s classification of the violence as communal clashes and describing the attacks as acts of genocide.
“This is not a communal clash as the presidency wants Nigerians to believe. What we are witnessing is a deliberate and sustained campaign to wipe out entire communities under the cover of darkness.
“It is shameful and misleading to reduce this orchestrated bloodbath to mere community misunderstandings. That statement is not only false but an insult to the memory of those who were brutally murdered.”
The youth leader said the Council stood in full support of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s recent broadcast to the state, insisting the governor’s message reflected the mood and pain of Plateau citizens.
“The governor spoke the minds of Plateau youths. We are ready to use all legal means to seek justice for our people. We will no longer fold our arms and watch our brothers and sisters slaughtered without provocation.
“Garba said peace will continue to elude Plateau until certain conditions are met. Just days after, our people were attacked. Is that a coincidence?
“If the authorities are serious about ending these killings, they must start by questioning those who make inciting statements. Otherwise, it will appear that some people are above the law.” He stressed.
Chiroma called on the Plateau State Government to strengthen Operation Rainbow by recruiting additional personnel and equipping them with modern tools to complement conventional security agencies.
He also praised the composure shown by the affected communities in the face of repeated attacks, but warned that patience was wearing thin.
“We are peace-loving people, but our peaceful nature must not be mistaken for weakness. We are reaching a point where our patience may run out.
“This is our final warning. If any attack happens again in our communities, the youths should not be blamed for the outcome.” He emphasized.
