Residents Conduct Mass Burial For 27 Victims Of Riyom Killing
BOKKOS Cultural Development Forum (BCDF) Vanguard has condemned the attack by suspected herdsmen that claimed 14 lives near Chirang village of Mangor district in Bokkos Local Council of Plateau State last Thursday night.

This happened as the 27 persons who were cruelly murdered on July 14, 2025, in Riyom were given a mass burial on Friday. A statement jointly signed by Farmasum Fuddang and Ambassador Duwam Bosco, Chairman and Secretary of the association respectively, said the scene of the violence has been the site of repeated assaults, resulting in nearly 100 fatalities, including over 60 deaths during the brutal Christmas Eve attack two years ago.  
  
“As of two hours ago, residents have reported sighting of large crowds of armed terrorists marching in the direction of the affected villages, with the military confirming ongoing shootout with the terrorists,” they said.
  
According to the statement, the latest attack follows an incident two days before that resulted in the death of a young man in the same vicinity.  
  
BCDF Vanguard further said the victims were returning from the weekly market in Bokkos town when their vehicle was ambushed, adding that those killed include women and little babies.  
 
“This violence occurred despite various so-called peace and reconciliation efforts by those who deny the realities of genocide and benefit from the distortion of the issues at hand, “the statement added.
 
It maintained that the facts are clear, stressing that the attack, along with ongoing village burnings and takeovers in the Mushere area, was “orchestrated by terrorists identified as members of the Fulani ethnicity.”  
 
“Their goal is to take control of the entire local government area, which is recognised as the potato headquarters of Nigeria. This is part of an initial step towards seizing the entire state, with over 150 native villages across central and northern Plateau.
 
“We unequivocally state that this attack serves as a stark reminder that our adversaries remain active and relentless. We are fully aware of our constitutional rights and will utilise them to the fullest,” the statement added.
 
The Police Public Relations Department in Plateau State confirmed the killings but could not confirm the number of casualties. Meanwhile, 27 people who were killed in an attack by gunmen in Riyom Local Council have been given a mass burial amid weeping and mourning by relatives and associates.
 
The 27 persons were killed in an attack by gunmen in Bindi-Jebbu community of the local council.   The Chairman of Riyom Local Council, Bature Sati Shuwa, who spoke on the occasion, lamented the spate of attacks on rural communities in the area.  
 
He said:  “People of Bindi-Jebu and the greater Riyom community, we are gathered here today in unspeakable grief, hearts heavy with sorrow, to mourn our brothers and sisters. Twenty-seven precious lives were cut down in a cruel and senseless act of violence in the early hours of July 14, 2025.
  
“As your chairman, I stand with you not only in leadership but in deep mourning. I cannot begin to imagine the pain, the silence in your homes, or the weight of these empty spaces left behind. To the immediate bereaved families, no words can truly comfort you. But please know that your pain is ours; your loss, a wound in the heart of all of Riyom people. The entire local government mourns with you. “  
 
Shuwa added: “We remember them not just as victims; but as fathers, mothers, children, farmers, neighbours, and friends. Let their memories stir in us a renewed commitment to justice, peace, and security. We will not forget. We will not be silent. And we will not rest until our communities are safe.”