At least eight people, including women, were killed on Wednesday night during a violent attack on Wereng Camp community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The attackers also burned over 20 houses and looted food supplies, leaving one person injured and hospitalized.
The unprovoked assault occurred around 7 p.m., catching many residents while they were asleep. The attack follows closely on the heels of another violent incident in which over 100 cattle and a herder were reportedly killed in Gero and Darwat communities of Jos South and Riyom LGAs.
According to Solomon Bulus, a resident of Wereng, “The gunmen were many. Some of us were sleeping, others were outside when they struck. It was devastating.”
Dalyop Solomon, President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), confirmed the incident and alleged that over 200 armed men, suspected to be Fulani militias, invaded the community, killed eight people, and razed homes during a two-hour gunfire spree.
In response, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), denied involvement and claimed instead that Fulani herders had also suffered attacks, including the killing of over 100 cattle.
In a bid to calm rising tensions, Major General Abdulsalam Oyinlola, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Operation SAFE HAVEN, held a peace meeting with community stakeholders from Jos South and Riyom. He condemned ongoing farm destruction and cattle rustling, warning that retaliatory actions only worsen the conflict. He also urged traditional and religious leaders to play active roles in fostering dialogue and peace.
Meanwhile, the Senate has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently sign the Nigerian Forest Security Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025 into law. The bill, recently passed by the National Assembly, seeks to enhance security operations in rural and forested areas that are increasingly targeted by bandits and kidnappers.
The Senate emphasized that the bill could be aligned with the President’s proposed Forest Guard Initiative, providing a legal and operational framework to improve national security in vulnerable regions.
In addition, lawmakers urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts for the immediate rescue of Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Obalohun of Okoloke, who was recently abducted from his palace in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Senate stressed that timely presidential assent to the Forest Security Bill would mark a crucial step in strengthening Nigeria’s fight against rural insecurity and protecting communities under siege.
