Fresh violence rocked Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night as armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on Jol community and Dorowa Babuje (Rob District), killing at least 10 persons between 8:00pm and 9:00pm, local leaders have confirmed.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYMA), Barrister Solomon Dalyop, disclosed this in a phone interview with a Channels Television correspondent in Jos. He said nine people were killed in Dorowa Babuje, while one person lost his life in Jol during the separate but near-simultaneous attacks.
According to Dalyop, the assailants who attacked Jol arrived on motorcycles from the Manga axis, despite early warnings issued to security agencies about possible movement in the area.
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He explained that personnel of Operation Rainbow, Plateau State’s security outfit, were already on the ground and succeeded in repelling the attackers, thereby limiting casualties.
In Dorowa Babuje, Dalyop said the attackers emerged from the Jong-Wereh area, where they were believed to have been camping for some time. He noted that the military was promptly informed and responded swiftly, a move he said prevented 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.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the police proved unsuccessful, as the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, did not respond to phone calls as of press time. The Nigerian Police is yet to issue an official statement on the attacks.
The latest killings add to a disturbing pattern of repeated attacks in Riyom, one of Plateau State’s most volatile flashpoints, where farming communities have endured cycles of night raids, ambushes and displacement in recent months.
Residents of Jol and Dorowa Babuje are gripped by fear as families mourn their dead and call for sustained security presence to prevent further bloodshed.
Meanwhile, local youth groups and community leaders have renewed calls on the federal and state governments to adopt long-term security and peacebuilding measures for Riyom and neighbouring communities.
