Two people have been confirmed dead and five others injured after armed bandits, suspected to be Fulani militias, attacked the Rachi community in Bachi District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday night.
The attack, which occurred around 8:00 p.m., is the latest in a series of violent raids on rural communities in the troubled central Nigerian state.
Confirming the incident, the National President of the Berom Youths Moulder Association (BYM), Barrister Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, said in a statement on Friday that the armed men invaded the village, shooting sporadically and setting off panic among residents.
He identified one of the victims as Dalyop Dangyang, a youth leader who had been instrumental in mobilising young people to form local vigilante groups to protect the community.
“The attack happened suddenly around 8:00 p.m. when the bandits stormed the community and opened fire on innocent residents. Two people were killed, including Dalyop Dangyang, while five others sustained gunshot injuries,” Mwantiri said.
According to the statement, survivors and eyewitnesses described the attackers as armed herders who have been operating in newly formed networks across the Riyom area and neighbouring communities.
“This attack is part of a renewed wave of coordinated violence in Riyom and nearby local government areas. The attacks cannot be left unchecked. The government must act decisively to protect our communities and restore peace,” Mwantiri stressed.
He added that the community had raised security concerns over the presence of strange faces and suspicious movement of armed men in the area days before the latest attack.
“Some residents said the attacks follow the arrival of armed groups in the area. It is worrisome that repeated warnings and reports have done little to prevent these incidents,” he added.
Thursday’s attack on Rachi comes just four days after a similar assault on Kwi Community, also in Riyom Local Government Area, where six people were killed by suspected Fulani militants.
Mwantiri said the Kwi incident occurred around 9:50 p.m. last Saturday, following an earlier shooting the same day that left one farmer dead.
“That incident, which took place at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, followed an earlier shooting around 4:00 p.m., in which Mr. Kurang Daniel was killed while harvesting maize,” the BYM President explained.
He said the attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, were believed to have come from Fass, a nearby settlement known for frequent clashes between herders and farming communities.
The repeated attacks, he noted, have created fear among residents who now live under the constant threat of violence.
“These killings are becoming too frequent. People can no longer go to their farms safely, and many villages are being deserted because of the fear of further attacks,” Mwantiri said.
The Berom Youths Moulder Association accused armed herders of spreading false claims to justify the attacks. According to Mwantiri, security operatives were told by some herders that the Kwi villagers had attacked their cows — a claim that the community strongly denies.
“Information available to us shows that the Fulani have made false allegations to security operatives, claiming that our people attacked their cows. But after thorough investigation, no evidence was found. No cows were harmed, and no herder was attacked,” he stated.
Mwantiri said the repeated pattern of violence, false accusations, and delayed government response has left many Plateau communities feeling abandoned.
“Our people are being killed repeatedly, yet there has been no meaningful action or justice. We cannot continue to live like this,” he lamented.
He called on security agencies to verify all allegations objectively and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, rather than allowing misinformation to escalate tensions.
Plateau State, located in north-central Nigeria, has long been a flashpoint for deadly clashes between farming communities and armed herders. The conflict, which dates back nearly two decades, is often described as a struggle over land, grazing routes, and ethnic identity.
The Berom, one of the major ethnic groups in Plateau, have accused armed Fulani herders of invading their ancestral lands and launching attacks on rural villages. The herders, on the other hand, often claim that they are victims of cattle rustling and revenge attacks.
Despite several peace initiatives by both the federal and state governments, violence has continued in parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bassa local government areas. Thousands of people have been killed or displaced in the past decade.
The latest wave of attacks suggests that peace remains fragile in Plateau, despite repeated assurances from authorities that the situation is under control.
As of Friday evening, the Plateau State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the Rachi attack. However, security sources confirmed that a team of officers and local vigilantes had been deployed to the area to prevent further violence.
A senior security officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said intelligence gathering was ongoing to identify the attackers and prevent reprisal attacks.
“We are working with community leaders to maintain calm and prevent further bloodshed. The investigation is ongoing, and we will make arrests once we have credible leads,” the officer said.
The Plateau State Government, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, has consistently called for peace and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands. The government has also promised to strengthen community policing and enhance security patrols in vulnerable areas.
However, community leaders insist that words must now be matched with action.
“We appreciate the governor’s concern, but we want to see stronger military and police presence in our communities,” Mwantiri said. “The attacks are becoming too frequent, and our people are losing faith in the system.”
Civil society groups and human rights organisations have also condemned the rising violence in Plateau and called for a nationwide strategy to address insecurity.
As night falls over Riyom and nearby villages, many residents say they now live in fear of further attacks. Some have fled their homes to nearby towns, while others keep watch in makeshift security posts.
For families like those of the victims in Rachi and Kwi, the pain of losing loved ones is deepened by the lack of justice and protection.
“We are tired of burying our people,” a community elder in Rachi said quietly. “We just want peace and the freedom to live without fear.”
