OpSH Commander meets with stakeholders I’m Riyom, Jos South

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – No fewer than nine persons have been killed as gunmen struck on Wednesday night at the Wereng Camp community, Riyom local government area of Plateau State, injuring yet-to-be-ascertained number of others.

The attackers also set many houses in the community ablaze, causing the residents to flee the community which has persistently been under attacked in over a decade.

Recall that the Bokkos, Wase, and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of the State have recently faced a series of attacks by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia, resulting in loss of lives and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

A source close to Wereng Camp community revealed that the assailants struck at precisely 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday when most residents had retired for the night and laid siege to the community, firing shots into the air to signal their arrival, causing panic and forcing residents to flee in different directions.

“The attackers, were large in number, and went from house to house, shooting victims and setting fire to their homes. Some of the inhabitants summoned the courage to defend their community but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the attackers,” the source recounted.

The onslaught was said to have lasted for more than two hours, and at the time it ended, nine people mostly children and the elderly were killed, and almost all the houses in the community razed. The attackers also looted foodstuffs before fleeing.

Solomon Mwantiri, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), confirmed the attack.

Meanwhile, the Commander of Operation Safe Haven, OpSH, Major General, Folusho Oyinlola has met with stakeholders to diffuse tension in the Riyom and Jos South local government areas.

Major General Oyinlola met with farmers and herders to strategize on how to quell the renewed security threats in the areas, expressing concerns about the prevailing acts of farm destruction and cattle rustling in parts of Riyom LGA.

He said these activities contribute to the triggers of crisis and should be rightly condemned to foster mutual understanding and respect between herders and farmers.

The Commander emphasised the importance of community-based conflict resolution mechanisms where traditional, religious and community leaders must be at the forefront of dialogue between aggrieved parties, reiterating that hostility is not the best way to resolve any crisis.