A women’s group in Plateau State has threatened to protest naked over the recurring attacks and killings by suspected Fulani militias, especially in Berom communities.
The group under the aegis of the Berom Women Development Association, BWEDA, who made the threat in a statement on Saturday, also declared that the ongoing violence in the state is a clear case of genocide and not a result of farmer-herder conflicts as widely believed.
In the statement signed by its President, Abigail Banga, BWEDA demanded immediate and decisive action from the government and security agencies to stop the relentless bloodshed in the state.
Describing the wave of attacks as mindless and unprovoked, the women’s group lamented the repeated killings and destruction of entire communities despite the presence of military personnel and armoured equipment.
The women also expressed deep frustration over what they term as the failure of the government to provide security and justice to the victims of such attacks.
They criticised the governments resort to condolence visits and palliatives, instead of a firm, decisive, and long-term security solution to avert the violence.
“Our hearts bleed with each butchered child and burned home. We are traumatised, we are grieving, and we are angry. This is not a conflict—it is a campaign of extermination,” part of the statement said.
The group further called on the federal government to urgently review its security framework in the state, stressing that allegations of military indifference and possibly collusion with attackers should not be swept under the carpet.
“We’ve had enough of empty words. We demand action now or we will embark on a naked protest. This is not just Plateau’s problem, it is Nigeria’s shame,” the women added.
