Armed bandits suspected to be Fulani militias have launched another deadly attack on Rachi community in Bachi District of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State, killing two people and injuring five others.
The attack, which occurred around 8:00 pm on Thursday, threw the quiet community into chaos as residents fled for safety.
National President of the Berom Youths Moulder Association (BYM), Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Jos, saying the gunmen stormed the village and opened fire on residents.
Mwantiri identified one of the victims as Dalyop Dangyang, a youth leader known for mobilising local vigilantes to defend the community from recurring attacks.
According to him, “This attack is part of a renewed wave of coordinated violence in Riyom and neighbouring local government areas. The attacks cannot be left unchecked. Government must act decisively to protect our communities and restore security.”
He added that four days earlier, six residents of Kwi community in the same local government were killed in a similar attack. “The assailants arrived on motorcycles and were believed to have come from Fass, a settlement in the state,” he said.
Mwantiri alleged that the attackers had spread false claims to security operatives that natives attacked their cows, stressing that “no trace of any cow touched or herder attacked up to the time of filing this report has been factually established after a thorough search.”