The Berom in Diaspora Coalition (BDC), in collaboration with other key Berom organisations, convened a world press conference in Jos, Plateau State, to draw national and international attention to the ongoing genocide and violent attacks against the Berom people and other indigenous communities in Plateau and the wider Middle Belt region of Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address, Barry Barnabas Dazih, representing the Berom in Diaspora, said the gathering was a solemn call to the conscience of the nation and the world to act against two decades of relentless killings, land grabbing, and displacement of the Berom people and their neighbours.
“We are gathered here not to promote hate or division, but to demand justice, accountability, and protection for our people,” Dazih stated.
The Berom are one of Nigeria’s oldest indigenous ethnic groups, predominantly found in Jos North, Jos South, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi LGAs. With an estimated population of 2.6 million, the Berom have long contributed to Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development.
However, since 2001, their homeland has been the epicentre of what the coalition describes as a “prolonged genocide” systematic and coordinated attacks by armed Fulani militias that have left thousands dead and displaced entire communities.
The conference recounted multiple tragic incidents over the years from the Nding massacre in 2001, where the village head and several worshippers were ambushed during morning devotion, to the infamous Dogo Nahawa massacre of 2010, which claimed 501 lives in a single night.
These attacks, the BDC said, have continued unabated, spreading across communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South, Bokkos, Bassa, Mangu, and even into Benue and Southern Kaduna.
“From available data, about 10,000 Berom people have been killed, and over 151 communities displaced,” the statement read.
“Families are mourning, children have been orphaned, and ancestral lands have been forcefully occupied.”
The Berom coalition condemned what it described as the “silence and complicity” of the Nigerian authorities in the face of these atrocities.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be one nation under law if Fulani terrorists are allowed to kill indigenous people without consequences,” Dazih said.
The coalition also raised alarm over threats to the lives of three prominent Plateau activists
- Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo (COCIN Church Council, Barkin Ladi)
- Mr. Masara Kim (Journalist and Social Justice Advocate)
- Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri (BYM National President and Human Rights Lawyer)
According to intelligence reports cited at the briefing, Fulani bandits from Nasarawa State have allegedly entered Plateau with the intent to assassinate or abduct these individuals.
The coalition demanded urgent state and federal protection for them and other vulnerable citizens.
BDC representatives listed several strategic locations now allegedly occupied or renamed by armed groups, including:
- Riyom LGA: Fass, Rankum (renamed Mahanga), Shonong, and Bangai.
- Barkin Ladi LGA: Werre (renamed Lugere) and Jong.
- Jos South LGA: Tahei hinterlands of Gyel District.
- Bokkos LGA: Dajin-Gwomna and Josho of Daffo District.
The group urged both the Nigerian government and the international community to recognize these occupied areas as terrorist enclaves and act decisively.
The coalition outlined a series of urgent demands:
- Declare Fulani Militants as Terrorists and conduct full-scale military operations to dismantle their camps.
- Return Occupied Lands to rightful indigenous owners.
- Release ₦10 Billion humanitarian funds earlier announced by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to support displaced victims.
- Prosecute Perpetrators and end the culture of impunity.
- Implement Community-Based Security Systems and early warning networks.
- Hold the Federal Government Accountable for protecting citizens.
- National Assembly: Organize public hearings and legislate against rural terrorism.
- International Partners: UN, AU, ECOWAS, and others should intervene and support peacebuilding.
- Media: Continue spotlighting the truth and amplifying victims’ voices.
BECO President, Da Gyang Dalyop
Dalyop reaffirmed the diaspora’s full support for the statements presented, adding:
“Perhaps Nigeria does not value human life. About 10,000 people have been killed in Beromland since 2001, yet justice remains elusive.”
He criticized the Nigerian leadership for what he described as political complacency and selective empathy.
“Show me a country that gives amnesty to terrorists who massacre its citizens, and I will show you a nation led by men without souls,” he lamented.
Bar. Solomon (Berom Youth Movement)
Solomon emphasized that the violence is not a farmer-herder clash, but a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing.
He highlighted cases where destroyed churches have been replaced with mosques, citing the example of Rampura (now renamed Manga).
“These are acts of occupation, not coexistence. If the government fails to act, history will judge its silence.”
During the Q&A session, journalists raised key questions about:
- Government response and accountability
- The fate of orphans and displaced children
- The BYM’s role in educational and humanitarian interventions
- The silence regarding the state government’s role in addressing insecurity
In response, the BDC clarified that while local authorities are part of the security structure, the core responsibility lies with the Federal Government and international partners capable of enforcing justice and restoring peace.
Speakers from the diaspora reaffirmed their commitment to supporting relief and advocacy efforts. The coalition has active chapters across North America, Europe, Russia, Australia, and Africa united in the campaign to expose and end the genocide in Plateau State.
“We are not playing politics with human lives. What we demand is simple: justice, accountability, and the right to live in peace,” one representative noted
In his closing remarks, Dara Francis, a former BYM President who led during the 2010 Dogon Nahawa massacre, recounted the pain of witnessing the loss of 501 lives in one day.
“I spoke then, and I speak again today, because Nigeria has a culture of covering the truth,” he said.
“Peace without justice is fragile. We demand justice now for the dead, for the displaced, and for generations yet unborn.”
The Berom in Diaspora Coalition and affiliated organisations reaffirmed their commitment to lawful advocacy and peaceful coexistence, while insisting that justice must precede peace.
They called on Nigerians across all ethnic and religious divides to unite against terrorism and defend the nation’s secular and democratic integrity.
“If Christians are killed, speak up. If Muslims are killed, speak up. When truth becomes tribal and justice becomes selective, what remains is not a country it’s a graveyard with a flag,” the statement concluded.
