At least four persons have been killed at a mining site in Mazat Community of Ropp District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, has called for a new security strategy to address rising insecurity in the state.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, Mwantiri urged operatives of Operation Enduring Peace to intensify efforts to break the cycle of violence in the area. He stressed that residents deserve adequate protection under the laws of the country.

He said, “The incident has caused deep outrage and increasing concern, especially as one of the four persons killed was a pregnant woman, while another four persons sustained fatal injuries during the attack at a mining site in Mazat Community of Ropp District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, on the night of May 1, 2026.”

The BYM further called for a strategic redeployment of security personnel from vulnerable villages and checkpoints to suspected hideouts and Fulani settlements across the state to enable more effective tracking of armed groups.

Mwantiri warned that without a shift in approach, “killings will continue to engulf Nigerians in Plateau and other Middle Belt states, where networks of killer-Fulani militants and their cohorts are gaining momentum and wreaking devastation.”

The statement added, “It is heartbreaking that despite repeated attacks and growing concern over insecurity in communities across Plateau State, innocent lives continue to be lost under painful circumstances such as this, where people merely went out in search of livelihood.”

The association also expressed concern over reports of widespread destruction of farmlands at Jol Village in Riyom Local Government Area. It alleged that the damage was carried out by armed groups accompanying cattle rearers, despite earlier assurances that grazing restrictions would help curb such incidents.

“The destruction of crops and farmlands at a time communities are preparing for the farming season poses a serious threat to food security, livelihoods, and peaceful coexistence in Berom land and beyond.

“It should be noted that failure to enforce the said restrictions may be interpreted as an implied directive or a sign of weakness on the part of security agencies, suggesting that the situation is beyond their capabilities.

“Such a development may force native inhabitants and other Nigerians to resort to self-help in defending themselves and protecting their farmlands, which are currently under serious threat.”