‘War Declared on Berom Tribe’: Tribal Leader
By Mike Odeh James
(Jos) — The Berom Youth Moulder-Association (BYM) has issued an urgent appeal to the Nigerian government to launch a full-scale military operation against what it calls “Fulani armed militancy,” following a string of bloody attacks across Berom communities in Plateau State.
The latest violence erupted on Sunday, July 14, when suspected Fulani militants launched coordinated assaults on Gwon village in the Rim community, Riyom Local Government Area (LGA), resulting in the deaths of Mr. Iliya Dariyan and Mr. Sylvester Stephen. The midday attack—reportedly carried out by militants numbering in the hundreds—lasted over an hour before security operatives from Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Agro Rangers, and the Mobile Police Force intervened and pushed the attackers back toward Bangai Fulani territory.
Tragically, as villagers gathered to bury the victims, another group of assailants ambushed and killed Mr. Sunday Alamba along the Fang–Lwa Road in Bachi District, also in Riyom County (Local Government Area).
The violence escalated further when over 300 armed militants returned for a second invasion of Rim, while other Fulani ethnic militia reportedly grazed their cattle across farmlands in Jol, deepening fear and trauma among residents.
In a strongly worded statement signed by Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, National President of BYM, and Bature Iliya Adazaram, Secretary-General, the youth group condemned what they described as an “orchestrated agenda of killer-Fulani crimes against humanity.” They warned that the pattern of violence showed signs of a broader and more dangerous campaign to overrun Berom land and other areas in Plateau and the Middle Belt.
“War Has Been Declared on Us”
Credit Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri.
Credit Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri.
Credit Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri.
According to BYM, the attacks are not isolated incidents but part of a sustained and systematic assault launched from known terrorist enclaves such as Bangai Fulani and Rankum (renamed Mahanga), long believed to be staging grounds for armed Fulani militia. These areas allegedly serve as safe havens for terror cells targeting Christian farming communities across Rim, Jol, Bachi, Tahoss, Nukur, Wereng, Byei/Kum, and NTV in Riyom, as well as Sagas, Nyarwei, Nding, Rawuru, and Daruwat in Barkin Ladi LGA.
The group further claimed that daily killings and destruction of farmlands are now grim realities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Mangu, and Bassa Counties, plunging entire communities into fear, grief, and economic despair.
“If government continues to close its eyes to these realities confronting us, we cannot guarantee peace,” the statement warned. “Our enemies have piled up more than enough arms and advanced war gadgets to prosecute this declared war on us.”
Call for “Full Kinetic Response”
The BYM has called on the federal government to adopt a “full kinetic approach”—a term suggesting the use of overwhelming military force—to dismantle the growing Fulani terror networks in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt. It urged immediate deployment of more federal security forces to prevent what it described as an “impending mother of all attacks” being prepared by these militants.
In addition to military intervention, the group pressed the Plateau State Government to ban open grazing or establish buffer zones between farmlands and grazing areas, warning that without decisive action, food insecurity, starvation, and widespread poverty will inevitably follow.
Appreciation for Security Forces
Despite the grim tone of their message, the Berom Youth Moulder-Association expressed gratitude to the Operation Safe Haven troops, Agro Rangers, Mobile Police, and local security outfits for their rapid response in Rim, which likely prevented further loss of life.
The group’s public outcry comes amid growing frustration in Plateau State over the government’s perceived inaction in the face of escalating violence perpetrated by armed Fulani groups—often cloaked under the narrative of “farmer-herder clashes.” BYM explicitly rejected that terminology, insisting the current crisis is not a communal misunderstanding but an ethnic cleansing campaign.
Background of Terror
The renewed attacks in Riyom follow a series of similarly devastating incursions in recent months, including the massacre of more than 50 persons in Mangu in May and the destruction of several villages in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi. Survivors told TruthNigeria they watched as entire families were wiped out, churches burned, and farmlands set ablaze.
Community leaders across Plateau repeatedly have warned of a growing militant infrastructure among Fulani settlers in the region, allegedly supplied with sophisticated weapons and external support—a claim echoed in BYM’s latest statement.
As residents brace for what may come next, the plea from Berom youth resonates as a desperate call for survival—one that demands not just empathy, but immediate national and international action.
