Fresh violence erupted in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night as armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on Jol community and Dorowa Babuje in the Rob District, killing at least 10 persons between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., 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 correspondent of Channels Television 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 assaults.
According to Dalyop, the assailants who attacked Jol arrived on motorcycles from the Manga axis, despite early warnings allegedly issued to security agencies about suspicious movements in the area. He noted that personnel of Operation Rainbow, Plateau State’s security outfit, were already deployed 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 camped for some time. He added that the military was promptly informed and responded swiftly, preventing 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 were unsuccessful, as the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, did not respond to phone calls as of press time. The Nigerian Police Force is yet to issue an official statement on the attacks.
The latest killings add to a disturbing pattern of recurring violence in Riyom, one of Plateau’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 remain gripped by fear as families mourn their dead and call for a sustained security presence to prevent further attacks. Meanwhile, local youth groups and community leaders have renewed appeals to both federal and state governments to implement long-term security and peacebuilding measures in Riyom and neighbouring communities.
