A socio-cultural group, Plateau Youth Council (PYC), said about 15,000 persons are currently displaced in the Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.

The Chairman of PYC in the LGA, Zang Davou, said this during a press conference on Tuesday in Jos.

Mr Davou attributed the rising number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the security challenges in the locality.

He also decried the spate of killings and wanton destruction of farmlands and other property in the locality.

The chairman noted that the displaced persons were currently living under precarious conditions, with a lack of shelter, food and other necessities of life.

He said, “The pattern of attacks and killings has recently escalated to an unprecedented level of sophistication. Within the last month, 58 people were brutally murdered in cold blood; these are fathers, mothers, children and youths. The recent surge of violence alone has displaced more than 15,000 people, who are now living under precarious conditions. They are in need of shelter, food and dignity.’’

Mr Davou, who decried the rising incidences of land grabbing and economic sabotage in the locality, said that the attackers prevented the people from going to their farms.

He called on the federal government and the security agencies to intensify efforts toward addressing the resurgence of killings in the area.

He also called on relevant government agencies to provide immediate relief to the displaced persons and commence an aggressive resettlement plan.

(NAN)