The Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM) has called for an independent investigation into the massacre that occurred in Bindi and Jebbu villages of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State, on July 14, 2025. At least 27 people were killed, several others injured, properties worth millions of naira destroyed, and over 2,400 people displaced during the attack.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Jos, BYM President, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, raised concerns over what he described as serious lapses in the response of security forces. He revealed that credible early warning alerts were issued to the Sector 6 Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Lt. Col. Thomas Paave, but no preventive action was taken. “Despite being serviced by two nearby military posts and located on a federal trunk road, the community was left vulnerable,” he said.
The association described the massacre as part of a broader strategy of systematic attacks in the Middle Belt—aimed at killing, displacing, and occupying ancestral lands. “The pattern is clear: attack, displace, and take over. It’s a campaign of territorial expansion being masked as community clashes,” Mwantiri stated.
BYM also faulted the military’s conduct after the attack, alleging that a local youth leader was shot from behind by a soldier after the assailants had retreated. The association rejected claims that a blocked highway had delayed reinforcements, calling them “unbelievable and ridiculous.” It further questioned why none of the attackers were arrested or neutralized.
The group demanded the immediate constitution of an independent panel to probe the massacre and assess the actions of the OPSH Commander and his team. They also called for the identification and prosecution of the attackers and their sponsors.
Additional demands included compensation for victims, humanitarian support from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and the unconditional release of Berom youths allegedly arrested without due process.
Despite the tragedy, BYM appreciated President Bola Tinubu, Minister Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, and Governor Caleb Mutfwang for their concern, urging Berom people to remain vigilant in defending their ancestral land and heritage.
