…As Lawmaker Condemns Fresh Killings, Demands Decisive Security Action
At least 13 people were killed in renewed attacks on Rachas and Rawuru villages of Heipang and Fan districts of Barkin Ladi Local Government Council of Plateau State
The incident, which occurred late Tuesday night, has once again thrown the area into mourning.
Confirming the attacks, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Council, Hon. Stephen Gyang Pwajok, described the attacks as “unprovoked, barbaric, and deeply regrettable.”
Pwajok, who attended the mass burial of the victims at Rachas village, expressed deep sympathy to the affected families and assured residents that the government is intensifying efforts to restore lasting peace.
“We are exploring all avenues to end these senseless killings and ensure our people can live without fear,” he said.
The District Head of Heipang, Da Paul Tadi-Tok, lamented the repeated attacks on innocent villagers and urged authorities to take concrete measures to prevent future occurrences.
He suggested restricting herders from grazing in communities where Fulani are not resident, arguing that such a policy would reduce infiltration by armed attackers disguised as herders.
He also called for the revitalisation of Operation Rainbow, the state-owned community security outfit, to enhance rapid response during emergencies in rural areas.
In his remarks, the Security Adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Brigadier General Shippi Gakji Goshwe (Rtd.), reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening community-based security systems.
He revealed that Operation Rainbow is currently undergoing a recruitment exercise, adding that newly trained personnel will soon be deployed to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies in tackling rural violence.
Also speaking, the President of the Berom Youth Movement (BYM) condemned the killings and reiterated the call for controlled grazing in non-Fulani settlements. He questioned the recurring justification of “cattle rustling” as a reason for the murder of innocent villagers.
The latest attacks in Barkin Ladi come amid growing public outrage and demands for more decisive and impartial security action to curb the persistent bloodshed in rural communities across Plateau State.
Meanwhile, the Member representing Barkin Ladi Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Dickson Chollom, has expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the renewed coordinated attacks that claimed several lives in Rachas and Rawuru villages of the area.
In a press statement he signed and issued on Wednesday in Jos, the lawmaker described the latest killings as a calculated massacre designed to inflict maximum pain and terror upon peaceful communities.
Hon. Chollom said no fewer than 11 people were brutally killed in Rachas Heipang District, while two others lost their lives in Rawuru village, Fan District, during the late-night attacks.
“This is not just an attack; it is a coordinated massacre. It is the bloody harvest of inaction I have repeatedly warned against on the floor of the House.”
The lammaker lamented that his earlier motions and pleas for proactive security measures were ignored, resulting in what he called the “painful consequence of unheeded warnings.”
He condemned the killings in strong terms, describing them as barbaric and senseless, while calling on both the state government and security agencies to move beyond rhetoric and take urgent, intelligence-driven action to secure rural communities.
“The time for reactive statements is over. We need a robust, intelligence-led security intervention to hunt down these perpetrators and protect our people”, he said.
