Three Killed As Militias Attack Plateau Community
According to the group, just a day before the Hwrra Village attack, on April 6, 2025, Fulani militants ambushed Irigwe villagers heading to Hukke. While many managed to narrowly escape, the attack left the community shaken.
The Irigwe Youth Movement has strongly condemned the recent killings carried out by armed individuals described as Fulani militias.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, signed by Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, the National Publicity Secretary of the IYM, it was revealed that on Monday, April 7, 2025, the militias launched a deadly attack on Hwrra Village in the Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State.
The assault resulted in the tragic deaths of three Irigwe residents: Yakubu Mali (48), Mangwa Ive (40), and Ezra Riti (51). This attack came just one day after the Irigwe community celebrated the Zrrechi festival, a significant cultural event for the people.
It described the assault as part of an ongoing pattern of violence against the Irigwe people, which has seen several attacks in the past month.
According to the group, just a day before the Hwrra Village attack, on April 6, 2025, Fulani militants ambushed Irigwe villagers heading to Hukke. While many managed to narrowly escape, the attack left the community shaken.
The group noted a troubling pattern of attacks over the past month, which have resulted in multiple casualties and the loss of lives within the community.
According to the group, on April 2, 2025, Dewi Terry Nah, 33, from Nzharuvo, was stabbed to death by the militants along Twin Hill (Gyu).
It said, “On March 24, 2025, Fulani militias launched an ambush opposite the shooting range, Twin Hill, killing Mr. Dumba Yohanna Monday, 33 years old, and another person who narrowly escaped.
“On March 23, 2025, Fulani militias launched a devastating ambush on our people from Dundu, killing three individuals: Mr. John Avia, 48 years old, Mr. Sunday Dickson, 32 years old, and Mr. Peter Dickson, 30 years old.
“On March 13, 2025, Fulani militias attacked two Irigwe sons at their farm in Yhwiba, killing Mr. Audu Buge, 24 years old, while Mr. Iche Sunday narrowly survived with serious injuries and is receiving treatment in an undisclosed location.
“The atrocities committed by Fulani militias in Irigwe land extend beyond ambushes and attacks on our people. Their cattle have been grazing on hecters of our irrigation farms with impunity, rendering countless families jobless and hungry as their only source of livelihood is destroyed.”
The group noted that the continued killings and destruction of our people’s means of livelihood are deliberate attempts to turn the Irigwe community into a lawless one.
In the statement, the Movement emphasised its unwavering resolve to seek justice for the victims of these attacks and ensure the safety of the community.
The leadership of the Irigwe Youth Movement has issued several demands for immediate action:
The Executive Chairman of Bassa LGA, Hon. Dr. Joshua Sunday Riti, is urged to work closely with the state government and relevant security agencies to immediately arrest, halt, and prosecute those responsible for these crimes.
The Movement has called on political leaders from Irigwe land, including members of the state and national assemblies, to publicly condemn the attacks and work toward implementing measures to prevent further violence.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3-Division Nigerian Army Headquarters in Bassa and the Commander of Operation Safe Haven in Jos are urged to bolster security in Bassa and surrounding areas, including the apprehension of the perpetrators and their sponsors.
The Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (PLASEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and various non-governmental organisations are asked to assist the affected communities by providing essential materials to support the victims and those who have lost their livelihoods.
The Irigwe Youth Movement has also called on all Irigwe people to remain vigilant and to continue seeking justice through legal means. Despite the continuing attacks, the community remains resolute in its determination to put an end to the violence and restore peace to their land.
The Movement assured that it would continue to explore all avenues to bring those responsible for the killings and destruction of livelihoods to justice.
Gunmen have killed at least 52 people and displaced nearly 2,000 others in a series of attacks across several days in northern Plateau State, Nigeria, a region with a history of conflict between farmers and cattle herders, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The motive behind the attacks, which targeted six villages in the Bokkos district last week, remains unclear. However, it marks the deadliest outbreak of violence in the area since December 2023, when over 100 people were killed in the same district.
NEMA confirmed over the weekend that 52 people have been killed, with 22 others hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the violence.
