From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The President of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, has called for a new strategy to combat insecurity in Plateau State following the killing of four persons at a mining site in the Mazat community of Ropp District, in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state, on Friday.
Mwantiri, in a statement on Saturday signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, said that operatives of Operation Enduring Peace, in particular, should step up their game so as to end the cycle of killings in the area.
He said that citizens of the area deserve government protection under the extant laws of the land.
He said, “The incident has caused deep outrage and increasing concern, especially as one of the four persons killed was a pregnant woman, while another four persons sustained fatal injuries during the attack at a mining site in Mazat Community of Ropp District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, on the night of 1st May, 2026.”
The BYM emphasised that there should be a strategic shift and redeployment of security personnel from attacked villages, communities, and checkpoints to suspected hideouts and Fulani settlements across the state to enable the timely tracking of the movements of terrorists.
He said that without this shift in strategy, “Killings will continue to engulf Nigerians in Plateau and other Middle Belt States, where networks of killer-Fulani militants and their cohorts are gaining momentum and wreaking devastation.”
The statement added: “It is heartbreaking that despite repeated attacks and growing concerns over insecurity in communities across Plateau State, innocent lives continue to be lost under painful circumstances such as this, where people merely went out in search of livelihood.”
The association said that it is equally disturbed by other reports of massive destruction of farmlands at Jol Village in the Riyom Local Government Area by another gang of terrorists allegedly accompanying Fulani cattle rearers to graze freely without restriction, despite assurances that restrictions would help curb the ongoing terror incidents.
“The destruction of crops and farmlands at a time communities are preparing for the farming season poses a serious threat to food security, livelihoods, and peaceful coexistence in Berom land and beyond.
“It should be noted that failure to enforce the said restrictions may be interpreted as an implied directive or a sign of weakness on the part of security agencies, suggesting that the situation is beyond their capabilities.
“Such a development may force native inhabitants and other Nigerians to resort to self-help in defending themselves and protecting their farmlands, which are currently under serious threat.”
The BYM expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the avoidable and painful loss of their loved ones and breadwinners.
The statement, however, appealed for calm and urged youths and residents of the affected areas to desist from night mining activities despite the prevailing socio-economic hardships in the country.
