By Marie-Therese Nanlong
The Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) has confirmed the killing of 27 people, mostly women and children, in an early morning attack on Bindi (Jebu) village, Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident, which they said occurred between 4:00 am and 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, has reignited concerns over the safety of rural communities in the state.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Solomon Mwantiri, and Secretary General, Bature Adazaram, the BYM described the attack as another round of “cold-blooded terrorism,” allegedly perpetrated by armed Fulani militia suspected to have come from Bangai, Ganawuri, and other settlements in the area.
The attackers, said to be in their hundreds, overran the village in the early hours while residents were still asleep.
BYM expressed outrage over what it described as the continued failure of security agencies to prevent recurring attacks on Berom communities, despite receiving prior intelligence.
According to the group, large herds of cattle accompanied by suspected armed men had been observed grazing on farmlands in Jebu and nearby villages the previous day, yet no preventive action was taken.
The group commended the Unit Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) stationed at Sopp for attempting to repel the attackers from one end of the village. However, they criticised the OPSH reinforcement team, accusing it of arriving during the attack but failing to intervene effectively.
“They positioned themselves by the roadside, less than a kilometre from the village, while the massacre was ongoing,” the statement noted.
BYM said the incident further weakens public trust in security operations and undermines President Bola Tinubu’s directive to crush terrorist elements nationwide.
The association also drew parallels between the current security lapses and the violence experienced under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, alleging that such inaction contributed to past genocidal attacks and mass displacements.
They also raised concern over reports of crop destruction in Jol, Bachi, and Rinyan communities on the same night of the Jebu incident, suggesting a coordinated assault designed to inflict long-term harm.
The group maintained that the attackers did not come from afar, stressing that their proximity to military checkpoints and the lack of an interception point point to possible collusion or negligence.
BYM demanded an immediate investigation into the role of the OPSH reinforcement unit, particularly its failure to stop the killings despite being stationed close to the scene. They also called for the arrest and prosecution of the attackers and their sponsors.
The group further called on the federal and State governments to establish proactive, community-based security frameworks to prevent future attacks. In addition, BYM demanded ₦10 million in compensation for each of the 27 victims, provision of relief materials, and the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the assault.
They also urged the military to stop accompanying herders during grazing activities, as such actions, according to the group, fuel perceptions of bias and complicity in ongoing violence and farm destruction.
“The blood of the innocent in Jebu cries for justice, and it must not be in vain. This is a defining moment. If the government fails to act now, history will remember this era as one where evil thrived under silence and indifference,” BYM declared.
As of press time, no official statement had been issued by security agencies concerning the attack or allegations of inaction by the reinforcement team.
However, the Berom natives continue to call for answers, justice, and decisive measures to end the bloodshed that has plagued their land.
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