Berom leaders have raised fresh alarm over what they described as a prolonged genocide and deliberate land grabbing of their people by suspected Fulani militants, lamenting that over 10,000 persons have been killed and 151 communities displaced across Plateau State since 2001.
The coalition, comprising the Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO), Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Berom Women Development Association (BEWDA), and the Berom Elders Council (BEC), said the sustained attacks had forced thousands of families into displacement while farmlands, homes, and entire villages were taken over by the attackers despite repeated calls on the authorities for protection and justice.
Delivering the statement on behalf of the group, Barry Dazhi, representative of the Berom Diaspora Coalition (BDC), said the press conference was convened to draw both national and international attention to what the Berom people described as a deliberate campaign of extermination and occupation of their ancestral lands.
According to him, available records indicate that about 10,000 Berom people have been killed while 151 communities were completely displaced, describing the situation as a systematic attempt to reduce the Berom population, deny them political representation, and deprive them economically.
He said: “Over two decades, the communities in Fan District of Gwol (Barkin Ladi), villages in Riyom LGA, and Gyel of Jos South Local Government Area have come under repeated attacks by armed assailants widely identified as Fulani militia.
Since 2001 till date, these attackers have invaded homes, set farmlands ablaze, and unleashed terror on sleeping villagers, leaving behind thousands of deaths, trails of blood, tears, and destruction of properties worth hundreds of billions of naira.”
Dazhi added that thousands of people had been killed, many others were missing, and vast territories of their lands had been seized by the attackers, leaving families mourning and communities that once thrived in peace now living in fear of extinction.
The coalition accused successive Nigerian governments of turning a blind eye to what it called “a sustained and coordinated onslaught” against the indigenous people of Plateau State and other parts of the Middle Belt, including Benue and Southern Kaduna.
It condemned what it termed the “continued silence and inaction” of the authorities, insisting that Nigeria could not claim to be a nation under law if those it described as Fulani terrorists were allowed to kill citizens without consequence.
The coalition called for immediate action by both the Federal and Plateau State governments to end the killings and restore occupied lands to their rightful owners.
“We are gathered here not to promote hate or division,but to demand justice, accountability, and protection for our people. The Nigerian government has not done enough.”The statement continued.
The group also urged the international community, including the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS, to take note of the ongoing attacks and support peace efforts in Plateau State.
It further demanded the declaration of Fulani militants as terrorists, a military operation to reclaim all occupied territories, and the release of the ₦10 billion intervention fund earlier announced for victims of attacks in the state.
