The uneasy calm in Plateau State was shattered once again on Tuesday night when suspected bandits launched a deadly reprisal attack on Rachas and Rawuru villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, killing 13 people in cold blood.
Security sources confirmed that the assault was a revenge attack following the earlier killing of two Fulani women and a young boy along Mangu Road by suspected Berom militia. The victims, who were travelling in a commercial vehicle near the NYSC orientation camp, were reportedly dragged out and shot dead.
The retaliatory strike has reignited fears of a return to large-scale communal conflict reminiscent of the 2018 Plateau crisis, as tension continues to simmer between Fulani and Berom communities.
During the mass burial of the victims in Rachas village, the Executive Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Council, Hon. Stephen Gyang Pwajok, condemned the killings as “unprovoked and deeply regrettable.”
He sympathized with bereaved families and assured residents that government was stepping up efforts to restore peace through dialogue and security reinforcement.
“The government will not relent in its determination to end these needless killings. We are engaging both traditional and community leaders to promote genuine reconciliation,” Pwajok said.
Also speaking, the District Head of Heipang, Da Paul Tadi-Tok, decried the continued targeting of innocent villagers and called for stricter regulation of grazing activities to prevent infiltration by criminal elements.
“We must strengthen local vigilance and revive Operation Rainbow so that communities can respond promptly to distress situations,” he added.
In the same vein, Brig.-Gen. Shippi Gakji Goshwe (Rtd.), Security Adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, revealed that the state’s community security outfit was undergoing recruitment and training to bolster protection in rural areas.
“Government is not relenting. The new recruits will be properly equipped to complement conventional forces in protecting rural communities,” he assured.
However, the situation remains highly volatile in Barkin Ladi, Mangu, Riyom, and Bokkos LGAs, which have all witnessed recurring attacks and reprisals in recent months.
Leaders of the Fulani community accused authorities of selective justice, alleging that attacks on their members often go unreported or unpunished, a situation they say fuels anger and perpetuates the cycle of revenge.
“Each time there is retaliation, it is only then that the authorities act. This selective justice is worsening the crisis,” a community leader lamented.
Observers warn that the fragility of peace efforts in Plateau State remains a major concern, as distrust, land disputes, and alleged bias in security responses continue to hinder reconciliation.
Security analysts have cautioned that unless the government enforces justice equally and prosecutes offenders from both sides, Plateau risks sliding into another tit-for-tat bloodbath capable of destabilizing the entire region.
As of press time, the Plateau State Government and Police Command were yet to issue official statements on the latest killings.
Source:@ZagazolaMakama
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