Senate orders crackdown on bandits flaunting crime cash on TikTok

 

Jos, Plateau State | By Prime Brief Media

The Berom Youth‑Moulders Association (BYM) and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) are currently at loggerheads following allegations and counter‑allegations over violent attacks and killings across Plateau State.

MACBAN had earlier alleged that a gang of "Berom Militias" attacked herders and their cows in Jos South Local Government Area on Friday, June 5, 2026, where a 15‑year‑old herder was reportedly killed. The MACBAN Chairman in the state, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, accused Berom youths of attacking the herders and killing the teenager identified as Sadi Aliyu, as well as 11 cows at Sabon Gidan Kanar community.

"The attack was unprovoked as the victim alongside his colleagues was rearing their cattle when the gunmen attacked them. They shot one herder and 13 cattle dead. About 11 cattle are still missing," Babayo had said. He added that the continuous targeting of innocent herders and their livestock was unacceptable and poses a serious threat to peaceful coexistence and security in Plateau State.

But reacting, the BYM in its own statement said the claims that those who carried out attacks were "Berom Militias" were not only baseless but misleading and unfounded. The statement, issued by National Publicity Secretary Rwang Tengwong, stated that on the contrary, Fulani bandits have been on the rampage, invading and sacking rural communities and killing innocent residents.

"Contrary to MACBAN claims, available information from the affected community indicates that armed Fulani terrorists took advantage of the early morning rainfall last Friday to launch an attack on unsuspecting residents of Ful who had already gone out in search of their livelihood before the rain commenced," Tengwong said.

Citing a particular incident, Tengwong said: "The attack resulted in the killing of a community member, Mr. Jan, while another resident, Mr. Silvanus Toma, sustained gunshot wounds on the head and is currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, in critical condition."

BYM stated that it strongly condemns every loss of innocent life regardless of ethnicity, religion or occupation, but rejected attempts to distort facts and ignore the suffering of indigenous residents who continue to bear the brunt of violent attacks.

"We call on security agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial and professional investigation into the incident and ensure that all perpetrators, irrespective of their background, are brought to justice," the BYM said.

The Plateau State Police Command has not yet commented on the exchange. Community leaders are urging calm, fearing that the war of words could escalate into reprisal attacks.

Prime Brief Media will continue to monitor intercommunal tensions in Plateau.