Bandits Ambush Youths Returning From Security Meeting In Plateau, Kill Two, Injure Six

Heavily armed men suspected to be Fulani militias launched an attack on Wednesday evening against a group of youths who were returning from a security meeting, killing two individuals and leaving six others with various degrees of injuries.

The assault, which took place around 7:30 p.m. along the Barkin Ladi–Dorowa Babuje road in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, has caused panic among residents after a period of relative calm in the area.

Confirming the tragic incident, the National President of the Berom Youths Moulders Association (BYM), Solomon Dalyop, expressed deep concern and condemned the act, describing it as barbaric, senseless, and entirely unprovoked.

Dalyop explained that the victims, many of whom were community leaders, had attended a security meeting organized by the Sector Four Command of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) and were ambushed by the attackers while returning home.

“Two of our people were killed on Wednesday evening when they were returning home after participating in a security meeting convened by the Sector Four Commander,” Dalyop stated.

“They were ambushed along the Barkin Ladi–Dorowa Babuje road and killed. On the same day, the militias launched simultaneous attacks on two villages and killed one person around 7:00 p.m.,” he added.

The BYM president further alleged that the attacks could be connected to an earlier accusation by the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, who had claimed that Berom youths killed a 13-year-old herder and 39 cows on Tuesday.

He suggested that such allegations were often used as a cover to justify attacks, saying, “Yesterday, they came up with an allegation that their cows were killed. They always make such claims whenever they plan to carry out killings.”

“Even if that incident truly happened, why not allow security agencies to investigate? From our understanding, some of their members who attended the security meeting might have passed information to the assailants about the route our people would take back home,” Dalyop stated.

According to him, the armed men blocked the road, killed two people, injured six others, while two narrowly escaped. “The corpses of those killed have been deposited at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital morgue,” he lamented.

Source: Informationng