The Plateau State Police Command and the Berom youth community are at odds over reports of an attack on mourners during a mass burial of terror victims in Barkin Ladi, with the police describing the claims as “false” while the community insists the incident occurred.
The controversy stems from reports that gunmen attacked mourners gathered for the burial of seven victims killed in an earlier assault on Nding Sesut Community, Fan District of the council area, reports The PUNCH.
Residents and eyewitnesses said the assailants attempted to storm the burial site on Wednesday but were repelled, while separate attacks were later carried out on nearby communities.
In a swift reaction, the Plateau State Police Command issued a press release on May 6, 2026, debunking the report.
“It has come to the notice of the Plateau State Police Command that a misleading publication by a section of the media alleges that gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians during a mass burial in the state, resulting in the death of many people,” the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, read.
The Command said the claims were “grossly exaggerated, inaccurate, and do not reflect the true situation on the ground,” stressing that “at no time did the Plateau State Police Command record such an incident.”
It added that the burial “was conducted under strict security supervision,” with the Divisional Police Officer and other security agencies present throughout the ceremony alongside the local government chairman, who “addressed the youth, urging them to toe the line of peace and allow security to do all within their powers to arrest the perpetrators of this violence.”
According to the police, “the event was carried out without any attack, as falsely reported.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Bassey Ewah, said additional personnel, including mobile policemen and operatives of Operation Enduring Peace, had been deployed “as part of proactive measures to sustain peace and forestall any potential threats within the area.”
The command urged the public to “disregard the said publication, as it is misleading and capable of inciting unnecessary panic,” and advised media organisations “to uphold the ethics of journalism by verifying information from credible sources before dissemination, especially on sensitive security matters.”
However, the Berom Youth Moulders-Association on Thursday countered the police position in a statement issued on May 7, 2026, by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong.
While acknowledging “the presence and efforts of security personnel at the burial ceremony,” the group said it was necessary “to state the facts clearly and accurately for the sake of public record, justice for the victims, and the affected communities.”
The BYM said the number of persons killed in the initial attack that led to the mass burial was “seven, not five,” and noted that Nding Sesut, a border community between Fan and Ropp districts, “has remained vulnerable to repeated attacks over time.”
The group further asserted that “there was indeed an attempted attack during the mass burial ceremony at Nding Sesut.”
According to the statement, “Some officials of the association, led by the National President, were physically present at the burial, making this not merely an eyewitness account but a direct experience of those on the ground.”
It added that “the attackers attempted to invade the area during the burial proceedings but were successfully repelled through the combined efforts of security personnel present at the venue and local vigilante groups.”
Three vigilante members sustained injuries during the confrontation and were taken to hospital for medical attention.
The BYM said after failing to penetrate the burial gathering, “the attackers moved to soft-target communities in Ropp District, specifically Zat and Bet communities.”
The attack, it said, “resulted in the killing of two persons in Zat Community and the burning of the residence of the community leader.”
The group noted that Zat Community is located close to Saint John Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin Ladi, “a fact that can easily be verified by any interested member of the public.”
The youth group stressed that “these unfortunate incidents are realities experienced by the affected communities and should not be dismissed in a manner that may appear to undermine the pains, fears, and losses suffered by innocent citizens.”
It called for “proactive security measures, sustained surveillance, intelligence gathering, and prompt response mechanisms capable of preventing further attacks on vulnerable rural settlements,” adding that “public communication on security matters should reflect realities on the ground with accuracy, balance, and sensitivity.”
