The Fulani community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State has raised alarm over what it described as recurring, unprovoked assaults on its members by suspected Berom youths, warning that such incidents could trigger retaliatory violence if left unchecked.
In a statement issued on behalf of the community, the Secretary of the group, Abdullahi Yusuf, condemned the most recent attack which took place on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at Rim community, Rim Ward, Riyom LGA.
According to Yusuf, a Fulani herdsman, Aliyu Sale Shehu, was ambushed around 4 p.m. by armed assailants, sustaining severe gunshot injuries. He further disclosed that during the attack, one cow was killed while eight others were left wounded.
“This incident is not isolated; it adds to a growing list of unprovoked and coordinated assaults on Fulani herders in this area. Our people are brutalized, their cattle are slaughtered, and their livelihoods are being systematically destroyed,” Yusuf said.
The statement titled “Another Attack on Fulani Herders in Riyom” accused attackers of deliberately targeting herders and warned against the dangers of reprisals that could spiral into widespread bloodshed.
Yusuf lamented the silence of both government and community leaders since the latest attack, noting that the lack of action only emboldens perpetrators and deepens the suffering of innocent Fulani herders.
He also criticized what he described as a double standard in narratives: “Whenever Fulani herders are attacked, nothing is said or done. But when victims attempt to defend themselves, they are quickly branded as aggressors or bandits.”
The Fulani community, therefore, urged security agencies and authorities at all levels to intervene decisively, stressing that lasting peace in Riyom cannot be achieved without fairness and justice.
