Women in Plateau State, under the Berom Women Development Association (BWEDA), have issued a strong warning to the Nigerian government, threatening to stage a naked protest if urgent action is not taken to stop the ongoing killings in their communities.
In a press statement released on Saturday and signed by the association’s president, Abigail Banga, the women accused the government and security agencies of failing to protect lives in the state, particularly in Berom communities repeatedly targeted by suspected Fulani militias.
The group described the attacks as “mindless, unprovoked, and deliberate,” claiming they amount to genocide and not just clashes between farmers and herders as often reported.
“Our hearts bleed with each butchered child and burned home. We are traumatised, we are grieving, and we are angry,” the statement read. “This is not a conflict—it is a campaign of extermination.”
BWEDA expressed frustration over what they see as government inaction, noting that despite the presence of military forces and armoured vehicles, entire villages are still being destroyed and residents killed. The women also criticised the government for offering condolences and palliatives instead of real security and justice.
They further called on the federal government to overhaul its security strategy in the state, insisting that reports of military inaction and possible collusion must be fully investigated.
“We’ve had enough of empty words,” they said. “This is not just Plateau’s problem; it is Nigeria’s shame.”
Plateau State has witnessed years of deadly violence often linked to land disputes, ethnic tensions, and farmer-herder conflicts. However, residents and civil society groups are increasingly raising alarm that the violence has taken a genocidal dimension, particularly against the Berom people.
BWEDA says the time for talk is over. If the government fails to act, the women say they will protest naked on the streets to show their pain and frustration to the world.
