Berom Man condemns five youths caught manufacturing weapons, says act same as terrorism

By: Zagazola Makama

A Berom man has condemned the alleged arrest of five youths reportedly caught manufacturing firearms, describing the act as terrorism and urging communities to refrain from supporting unlawful armed activities.

He made the remarks in a two-minute video circulating online.

He said the arrested youths were allegedly found manufacturing guns and assembling ammunition on their own, adding that such actions should not be justified under the guise of community protection.

According to him, any claim of self-defence by individuals or groups must be known to community leaders and relevant government authorities, rather than being carried out secretly by a few persons stockpiling arms.

He argued that the development amounted to terrorism and should be treated as such, insisting that the youths involved must be properly investigated to determine who they were producing the weapons for and how they were being used.

The speaker also cautioned against ethnic interpretations of the incident, noting that criminal acts should not be defended on communal or religious grounds.

He further urged members of the Berom community and other groups to openly condemn the act, warning that protests or calls for the release of suspects could be seen as complicity.

He stressed the need for full legal action against those involved, adding that communities must avoid creating what he described as “another armed group in the name of fighting insecurity.”

Below is the full transcription of his statement:

This pictures you are seeing are pictures of five Berom youths that were apprehended yesterday manufacturing guns. This is another level of terrorism that I have been talking about. Another different level of terrorism.

They have now learnt how to assemble ammunitions by themselves. I will come out and say it. Because I swear nobody sent them. In the other video that I made I said if you say that you are getting weapons to protect your community, the community head should know. The government should know, not a few individuals will just start to stockpile arms and then you will say that you are protecting your community. No, this is terrorism. These people are terrorists and there are no two ways about it.

Now you see, they have now started calling them Berom terrorists. One Berom man will be angry. Sincerely speaking, I am Berom too. But I must tell you, you should not be angry because you are being referred to as Berom terrorist, you should be angry because these are your children caught in this act. You have no right to be angry that they are calling Berom terrorists, Berom militia. This type of attitude. We have been telling you to speak to these children, stop the revenge attacks, we told you to tell these children to stop doing things that would get them into the net of the authorities like this. Because when they get caught, they will be used as an example. Now these things will be flying all over the world just to prove that the Berom people too are doing terrorism.

If anyone comes out now to say that the people of Berom are terrorists, will you say that they are not terrorists? Will you say you don’t engage in terrorism? Because definitely that is what they are doing. Ethnic profiling, we did it too. We are also coming out to say Fulani militia. Why are we saying it? Because of what they are doing. Now our children are also being caught.

If we know what is better for us, be it a Muslim, be it a Christian, it is better for us to come out and add our voice and tell the world that what the children are doing is bad. Because the truth is it is not right. And now that they have been caught like this, I am begging you because of God not to hear that our people have come out for protest because it will be very shameful. It will show that you have a hand in this.

Anyone who comes out to protest, anyone who speaks that they should be released or do anything, I swear he is complicit too in the crimes and he should be arrested and also added into their team and asked since when did you start producing weapons, who are they manufacturing them for, what are they being used for. There should be serious interrogation and they should face the full wrath of the law. All of them have no excuse whatsoever.

When they come out you will say because they are being terrorized so we are being terrorized, so then you will start making guns without anybody monitoring you. It is an act of terrorism and I hope that this thing will stop and I hope and pray that people will come out and call this out. And I keep saying we cannot create another terrorist organization in order to fight terrorism.

And you see as a Christian or a son of Berom, if you don’t come out and condemn this, if they continue like this as time goes on we are going to be the victims of this stupidity.”

Berom Man condemns five youths caught manufacturing weapons, says act same as terrorism