By Palang Paul
At least one person was killed after armed Fulani ethnic Militias Attacked the Vwak and Tanjol communities in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, in Nigeria’s troubled Middle Belt region.
The victim, identified as 25-year-old Daniel Choji of Tanjol village in Jol District, was killed during the Monday evening attack leaving the community in fear.
Residents said the Assailants invaded the communities in more than five groups at about 4:54 p.m., firing sporadically and sending villagers fleeing for safety before security operatives responded to the scene.
Personnel of Operation Rainbow and the Nigeria Mobile Police Force reportedly engaged the attackers in a gun battle and eventually repelled them from the area.
Community members says that the attackers advanced from Rankum, also known as Mahanga, an area repeatedly accused by local leaders of serving as a hideout for armed groups operating across Riyom and neighboring communities.
Eyewitnesses further claimed the assailants moved into the area under the cover of cattle grazing near the villages, a pattern residents described as a recurring tactic before attacks.
The latest attack has renewed fears over worsening insecurity in Plateau State, where repeated attacks on rural communities have continued despite military deployments and ongoing security operations.
Reacting to the incident, the Berom Youth Moulder-Association (BYM), led by Barrister Dalyop Mwantiri, called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to halt grazing activities around vulnerable communities and intensify military operations in Mahanga.
The group warned that failure to dismantle armed camps operating in the area could lead to further attacks across Plateau and the wider Middle Belt region.
Security authorities had not issued an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Palang Paul Reporting for The Nigeria Times.
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