Riyom Youths Issue Ultimatum: "Act Now or We Defend Ourselves" Amid Militia Attacks, Mass Displacement

The Plateau State Youth Council (PYC), Riyom Branch, has issued a desperate appeal to the Federal and State Governments to urgently safeguard lives in the face of rampant attacks by armed militias.

PYC Chairman Zang Davou made the plea during a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Plateau State Council in Jos on Tuesday, stating the community is exhausted from burying loved ones whose lives are being cut short.

"We are tired of burying our loved ones," Davou declared. He warned that if the Federal Government does not act swiftly to save lives in Riyom Local Government Area (LGA), the youths will be forced to take the law into their own hands. "We are ready to defend our land and die for it," he emphasized.

While commending Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang for establishing an Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force to investigate and come up with solutions and the best way to tackle insecurity in parts of the state, Davou stressed that the government must act fast to preserve lives.

The youth leader demanded the massive, permanent, and proactive deployment of security forces across all vulnerable communities in Riyom LGA. He called for the establishment of  operating bases to deter attackers and protect residents, farmlands, and properties.

Davou lamented that the destruction of farmlands by the attackers "is seen as a deliberate strategy to impoverish the people and dispossess them of their land.

The demands of the youths are :

 Returning displaced persons to their ancestral homes, Urgent support from the Federal Government and humanitarian agencies to provide relief materials, medical supplies, and psychological support for thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),

While justice must be served," Davou stressed, "we advocate for sincere and inclusive dialogue initiatives that will involve all stakeholders, aimed at addressing the root causes of these conflicts."

Detailing the recent devastation, Davou reported that,

 Within the shortest period, 58 people were brutally murdered in cold blood. These were fathers, mothers, children, and youths whose lives were cut short without mercy."

31 people were severely injured  and are currently battling for their lives, receiving treatment in various hospitals where many are struggling with inadequate resources for better medical care,

82 houses and properties worth millions of naira were deliberately burnt and destroyed,

Beyond the immediate physical destruction, large hectares of our cultivated farmlands, representing the very essence of our people's sustenance, have been mowed down and decimated." "The recent surge of violence alone has displaced more than 15,000 people, who are now living in precarious conditions, without shelter, food, or dignity.

The emotionally charged youths emphasized that sadly, "We see attacks as being more coordinated because they occur concurrently and simultaneously at the same time in various local government areas such as Barkin-Ladi, Bassa, Mangu, and Bokkos