Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has pledged that no community in the state will succumb to continued attacks by armed assailants, describing the recent violence in Riyom Local Government Area as terrorism and genocide.
The Governor made this declaration during a visit to Binda in Tahos village, Riyom, where 27 farmers were killed in a brutal attack last Tuesday. Homes, including a church, were set ablaze, and food supplies looted by the attackers, further deepening the tragedy.
“This is not a farmer-herder conflict. This is terrorism—genocide, plain and simple,” Mutfwang stated in a release by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere. “By the grace of God, Riyom will not fall, and no community on the Plateau will fall to the assailants. We will deploy every resource to end this.”
The Governor commended the bravery of soldiers defending the region but criticized what he described as lapses within the security architecture, including the targeting of innocent civilians while perpetrators escape justice. He questioned the lack of arrests, demanding accountability from military officers in charge of operations in the area.
“These attackers are not spirits. Real people committed these atrocities and vanished without consequence,” Mutfwang said. “I want to hear of arrests, not excuses. The era of ‘unknown gunmen’ is over.”
He also called on security agencies to act decisively and avoid scapegoating innocent villagers, insisting that only the real perpetrators should be apprehended.
While visiting other affected areas, including Gwong, Fang, Keng, and Rachi in the Bachit District of Riyom LGA, Mutfwang reassured residents of government support. He promised dignified burials for the victims and aid for displaced families. The Governor urged communities to remain calm but vigilant and praised the youth for their resilience in defending their ancestral land.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Riyom, Rev. Davou Musa, accused military personnel of failing to protect the people and even aiding the attackers. He urged the Federal Government to withdraw the military from the region and called for immediate humanitarian assistance for survivors.
