In Plateau State, a heated war of words has erupted between two prominent groups: the Berom Youth-Moulders Association (BYM) and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). The conflict stems from competing accusations regarding attacks and fatalities in the region.
MACBAN’s state chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, had previously alleged that a group of “Berom Militias” was responsible for a deadly incident in Jos South Local Government Area. According to Babayo, the attack occurred on Friday, June 5, 2026, when gunmen attacked herders tending their cattle in Sabon Gidan Kanar community. He claimed a 15-year-old herder named Sadi Aliyu was killed, along with 13 cows, while 11 more cattle remain missing. Babayo described the assault as unprovoked, stating that the herders were peacefully grazing when the attackers opened fire.
However, the BYM swiftly dismissed MACBAN’s narrative as baseless and misleading. In a statement issued by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, the BYM accused MACBAN of distorting facts and criminalizing the Berom community. Tengwong countered that the real perpetrators are Fulani bandits who have been terrorizing rural areas. He cited an incident where armed Fulani elements exploited early morning rainfall to ambush residents of Ful community. That attack, he said, resulted in the death of a local man named Jan and left another, Silvanus Toma, with severe head injuries. Toma is now in critical condition at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
The BYM expressed strong condemnation for all loss of life, regardless of ethnicity or religion. They emphasized the need for thorough and impartial investigations by security agencies to bring all perpetrators to justice. The group also called on authorities to acknowledge the suffering of indigenous communities who continue to endure violent attacks.
This exchange highlights the deep tensions and conflicting accounts that complicate efforts to establish peace and security in Plateau State, where clashes between herders and farmers have long been a source of instability.