“96 Houses Burned, 3 Dead: Violence Rocks Plateau State’s Langai District”
At least 96 houses were destroyed in a brutal attack on Gyenbwas, a community in the Langai District of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State. Residents reported that the assailants looted food supplies, mattresses, cattle, and other valuables during the assault.
Alhaji Yakubu Umar, the traditional ruler and Madugun Langai, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust in Jos on Tuesday. He revealed that, following the initial report of two deaths on Monday, a third body was recovered on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three.
The community has accused members of the Berom ethnic group of carrying out the attack, a claim that the Berom leadership vehemently denies.
Umar expressed shock at the scale of the violence: “We have never experienced such atrocities. The attackers burned working equipment, clothes, foodstuffs, and other valuables. They looted goods worth millions of naira. We live peacefully with everyone, so this attack came as a surprise.”
He urged the Plateau State Government and the Mangu Local Government authorities to investigate the attack thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice. Umar also called on the government to provide relief materials to those displaced by the destruction.
In response, Dalyop Solomon, President of the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM) Association, refuted the allegations as false. He stated, “Three of our members farming nearby were attacked by terrorists and are currently hospitalized. Our people are under attack, and the Fulani are using this to justify their own acts of terror.”
Solomon emphasized the right to self-defense, saying, “When attacked, we have the legal right to defend our lives, families, and properties. Sometimes, defending ourselves means pursuing attackers to their hideouts. But we have never carried out offensive attacks against the Fulani.”
The incident highlights the deepening tensions in Plateau State, with both communities trading blame as the death toll and destruction mount.
