By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
A wave of grief and destruction has swept through Gyenbwas community in Langai district, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where no fewer than 96 houses were set ablaze following a violent attack that residents say left three people dead and property worth millions destroyed.
According to the traditional ruler of the area, Alhaji Yakubu Umar, the attackers stormed the community on Monday, unleashing chaos that led to the deaths of two individuals initially. A third body was later discovered on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three.
“This is the worst incident we’ve experienced in our lifetime,” said the distraught monarch during a briefing with journalists in Jos. “They didn’t just burn homes they looted food, clothes, mattresses, cattle and farm tools. Even equipment used for daily survival was destroyed. We have always lived peacefully with others, and this is why the attack caught us off guard.”
The assailants reportedly razed homes while residents fled for safety, leaving behind their belongings. Women, children and the elderly were said to have spent the night in nearby bushes and farmlands in fear of a renewed onslaught.
While the residents of Gyenbwas accused members of the Berom ethnic group of carrying out the attack, the allegation has been firmly denied by the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), whose leadership insists their people are also victims of similar violence.
Dalyop Solomon, President of BYM, refuted claims of any coordinated assault by Berom youth, describing the accusation as unfounded and politically motivated.
“Three of our members were attacked on their farmland near the same area and are now receiving treatment in a hospital,” he said. “Fulani leaders are making these claims to justify their own acts of violence. But let it be clear: we have not attacked any Fulani community. If there was any confrontation, it must have been in self-defense, which is a right under the law.”
He added, “Anyone being pursued or attacked has the right to defend his life, family and property. In the process of defending oneself, things can spiral out of control. But we have never initiated any attack.”
As accusations and denials continue to fuel ethnic tension, the traditional ruler has appealed to the Plateau State Government and the Mangu Local Government Council to launch an immediate investigation, identify those behind the violence, and provide relief to affected families.
“The destruction is beyond what our people can bear alone,” he said. “We need urgent support food, shelter, medical aid and most importantly, justice.”
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Plateau State, a region that has seen recurring clashes over land, grazing rights, and ethnic suspicion. Observers fear that unless swift action is taken, retaliatory violence could plunge more communities into crisis.