BYM rejects MACBAN’s claims of herders’ killing, demands arrest of injured bandit

The Berom Youth Moulders-Association, BYM, has rejected a report by the Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, alleging that a gang of “Berom Militias” attacked and killed three herders in the Tanjol community of Riyom Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

MACBAN, in a statement issued by its chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, had alleged that a militia gang made up of Berom youths had ambushed the herders while grazing their cattle and shot three of them to death while also injuring two others.

However, the BYM, in a counter-statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwom, refuted the allegations, which were widely circulated on social media platforms by the media team of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, GAFDAN.

In the statement, BYM described the report as not only false, baseless, and misleading, but a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts in the attack on the Tanjol community, which Fulani terrorists actually perpetrated.

“The Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), under the leadership of Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri is deeply alarmed by yet another calculated attempt to distort the truth surrounding the continuous terrorist attacks on indigenous communities in Plateau State.

“A Facebook account operating under the name Gafdan Media Team falsely claimed that three herders were ambushed and killed by Berom people around the Jol axis of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State,” the BYM statement said. 

Tengwong stated that the wrong narrative was not only false but a regular propaganda often employed by the terrorists whenever they plan to unleash violence on Plateau communities, to justify such attacks 

“This narrative is not only false but is a dangerous propaganda campaign designed to conceal the atrocities committed by armed terrorists while criminalising victims who are defending their communities,” Tengwong stated.

He went on to narrate what he said was the true position of things.

“The facts are clear. On Sunday afternoon, armed Fulani terrorists from Mahanga, a community from which they had displaced the natives from and grabbed, invaded the Jol community in Riyom LGA, launching an unprovoked attack on innocent residents. 

“During the assault, Mr. Thomas Damang, 48, was murdered, while Ishaku Pam (22), Ezra Yakubu (28), and Shedrack Danladi (34) sustained gunshot injuries. The attackers met resistance from local vigilantes working alongside security personnel. 

“In the ensuing confrontation, three terrorists were neutralised, and five others sustained injuries, forcing the remaining attackers to retreat. Contrary to the false report by Gafdan Media Team, those killed were not innocent herders but members of the armed group that attacked the community.

“This recurring pattern of misinformation raises grave concerns. Every time terrorists are confronted by security personnel or local defenders, certain platforms quickly circulate fabricated stories portraying the attackers as innocent herders while ignoring the innocent civilians killed in the attacks. 

“Such propaganda emboldens terrorists, undermines security operations, and frustrates efforts to achieve justice for victims.

“BYM is convinced that the operators of the Gafdan Media Team Facebook account have repeatedly demonstrated knowledge and narratives that align with the interests of terrorist groups operating in Plateau State. This pattern warrants urgent investigation.

“We call on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to immediately identify, investigate, and prosecute those behind this platform. Information warfare is an integral part of modern terrorism, and individuals who deliberately spread falsehood to shield violent criminals must be held accountable under the law.

“We also call on the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, the international community, and global media to pay close attention to the coordinated campaign of disinformation surrounding the Plateau crisis.

“The manipulation of facts not only denies justice to victims but also enables the continuation of attacks against vulnerable communities.”

BYM rejects MACBAN’s claims of herders’ killing, demands arrest of injured bandit