• Group urges FG to declare Riyom community terrorist den
• NHRC raises the alarm as Benue, Borno lead in displacement crisis
Plateau Youth Council (PYC) has asked the Federal Government to declare Mahanga, a community in Riyom Local Council, bordering Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Council, a terrorist’s hideout.
The call followed its report that in the past six weeks, 58 people had been killed and 31 others injured, while 82 houses and farms were destroyed, and over 15,000 residents displaced by armed Fulani herders.
Relatedly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised fresh concerns over the growing crisis of internal displacement in the country, revealing that Benue and Borno states remain the hardest hit from February to April 2025.
PYC equally revealed that its members knew those perpetrating the dastardly act in their communities. This was disclosed by its chairman in Riyom while briefing journalists in Jos yesterday.
He said: “It is crucial to emphasise for the whole world to know that the inhabitants of Riyom are, by nature, peaceful, accommodating and law-abiding citizens. In the face of these sustained and unprovoked attacks, our people have consistently demonstrated remarkable restraint, refusing to resort to reprisals or retaliations.
“However, it should be noted that our patience, rooted in our belief in justice and the rule of law, has been stretched to its limits. The pattern of these attacks has recently escalated to an unprecedented level of coordination and sophistication,” Davou decried.
While acknowledging the efforts of security agencies and governments at all levels in curbing the attacks, the PYC said it was imperative to state that “the efforts, however commendable, cannot be seen as enough.”
SPEAKING in Abuja at the presentation of its monthly human rights review and the launch of Nigeria’s first Human Rights, Internal Displacement Dashboard, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), lamented the worsening conditions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the normalisation of distress among many Nigerians.
Ojukwu remarked: “It is not just about the data, it is about the reality behind the data — the lived experiences of Nigerians who feel unprotected, unheard, and left behind.”
According to the NHRC, a staggering 44,295 individuals were displaced in April alone, involving 5,953 households and over 20,000 children. These displacements, the commission noted, stem from both man-made and natural disasters, including armed conflict, sexual violence and severe flooding.
One of such tragic instances cited was the devastating flood in Mokwa, which the commission said echoes the haunting memory of the 1996 flood that claimed over 200 lives.
“These events are grim reminders of the urgent need for coordinated disaster preparedness and management strategies,” Ojukwu added. The newly launched dashboard — a collaborative initiative between NHRC and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) — will provide timely data on IDPs, asylum seekers, refugees and returnees, while spotlighting human rights issues affecting these populations.
The NHRC appealed to the federal and state governments, development partners and civil society to intensify efforts to safeguard the rights of displaced and marginalised populations.
