MACBAN’S PLAN TO SHIELD ARRESTED HEIPANG ATTACK SUSPECT EXPOSED – BYM
…Worried Over Unceasing Attacks Despite Security Presence
Our correspondent
The umbrella body of all Berom youths has accused the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) of attempting to shield a suspect detained in connection with the recent attack on Pwomol village in Heipang District of Barkin Local Government Area.
BYM, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, said, “The Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), under the leadership of its National President, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri has received credible intelligence from an anonymous but reliable source indicating that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) is allegedly making desperate efforts to procure a questionable medical certificate, claiming that the suspect arrested in connection with the April 5, 2026, attack on Pwomol Village in Heipang District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area is mentally unstable.
“According to the intelligence report available to the Association, the alleged plan is to present the medical certificate to the Special Task Force (STF) under Operation Enduring Peace as grounds to pressure the authorities to release the suspect or face the threat of legal action.”
The Berom youths’ umbrella body described this alleged effort as a “calculated and desperate attempt to obstruct justice and protect an individual reportedly involved in the attack that claimed three innocent lives in Pwomol community.”
BYM stated that it would outrightly reject any such attempt, warning that if any questionable medical certificate is presented in relation to this matter, the individuals responsible for producing or facilitating such a document would themselves be investigated and treated as accomplices in the attack against the people of Pwomol.
The group maintained that it is both “illogical and unacceptable” that a suspect who allegedly provided clear and detailed information about the attack in a community where he does not reside is suddenly being described as mentally unstable.
According to the BYM, the level of information reportedly supplied by the suspect about the incident raises serious questions about the credibility of any sudden claim of mental incapacity.
“The Berom Youth Moulders-Association, therefore, categorically rejects any attempt to manipulate the investigation or mislead security agencies and the Nigerian public in order to shield the suspect from facing justice.
“BYM wishes to make it unequivocally clear that the Berom people will not accept any cooked-up report or fabricated narrative intended to derail the course of justice. Any attempt to compromise the investigation will only deepen suspicions that certain interests are determined to frustrate accountability in the ongoing attacks against communities on the Plateau,” the statement stated.
It further warned against any interference with the investigation process, stating that such would send a disturbing signal to the international community that powerful interests may be working to undermine justice and the security of innocent citizens.
While calling on security agencies and governments at all levels to remain vigilant and resist any pressure capable of derailing the investigation, the BYM demanded the immediate handover of the suspect to the appropriate security agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal matters, to ensure transparency and accountability.
In line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, BYM strongly demands that the suspect be immediately handed over to the appropriate security agency responsible for the investigation and prosecution of criminal matters to ensure transparency and accountability.
“The families of the victims and the entire Berom nation deserve justice, and nothing short of justice will be acceptable.
“The Berom Youth Moulders-Association will continue to monitor developments closely and remain committed to the pursuit of justice, accountability, and the protection of our communities from further attacks.”
Similarly, the BYM has also expressed worry over what it described as “a continuous and coordinated attack being carried out by armed Fulani terrorists against innocent Berom citizens” in broad daylight and at night in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Jos, the BYM said latest information available to the Association indicates that on the evening of Wednesday, 8th April 2026, armed Fulani militias ambushed innocent travelers who were returning from mining activities around the Great Commission area along the Bokkos Road on their way to Nding in Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area at about 4:15 p.m.
The statement read in part said, “During the ambush, the attackers opened fire on the unsuspecting victims, killing Mr Ayuba Pam of Nding Sesut. Two other persons sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment. The injured victims have been identified as Mr Alfred Dung and Mr Nathaniel Bitrus.
“In a related attack on the same day, Armed Fulani Terrorists also laid an ambush along the Gwolhoss–Byei road in Riyom Local Government Area, where Mr Christopher Joshua from Byei community in Riyom LGA, a father of three, was brutally murdered while returning home after his lawful activities for the day. The incident reportedly occurred around 6:30 p.m.
“The Berom Youth Moulders-Association views these attacks as part of a calculated and sustained campaign of terror against innocent and defenceless communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas, with the aim of grabbing land. It is deeply troubling that such ambushes continue to occur on community roads used daily by farmers, miners, and travellers without any lasting solution, despite the fact that security authorities are aware of the locations where these terrorists operate and hide.
While commending the security personnel who continue to put their lives on the line to protect vulnerable communities, the Association urged them to go beyond reactive responses by taking proactive and decisive steps to dismantle the terrorist cells operating within and around Berom communities.
“BYM therefore calls on security agencies to immediately intensify surveillance and patrols along known flashpoints and rural access roads, particularly the Great Commission–Bokkos road, Great Commission -Gashish axis and the Rahoss-Rim Road, Kwi-Farin Lamba road, Gwolhoss-Jol-Sho Road and Rim-Bachi Road, which have increasingly become corridors of deadly ambushes.”
They also called on the government at all levels to take urgent and decisive action to end the killings and ensure that perpetrators are identified, arrested, and prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Association commiserated with the families of the victims and the affected communities and assured them that it will continue to advocate for justice, peace, and the protection of lives and ancestral lands.
“The continuous bloodshed of innocent citizens going about their legitimate livelihoods must not be allowed to continue unchecked,” the statement added.
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