Plateau massacre happened near military checkpoint, state govt alleges

CDS Musa

Plateau State government has expressed frustration over the failure of the Nigerian military to respond effectively to a deadly attack in the Bindi (Jebu) village, Tahoss District of Riyom Local Government Area, where over 20 villagers were killed on last Tuesday.

The attack, which allegedly occurred just 200 meters from a military checkpoint, has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for accountability in security operations across the State.

In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, and on TVC both done on Friday, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, laid bare the government’s disappointment at what it alluded to as the military’s inability, or unwillingness to act, despite their strategic location near the scene of the killings.

“This is not a hidden community that we would say is inaccessible. The checkpoint is barely 200 meters from where the incident happened. It is baffling that such an atrocity could be carried out without a single arrest or any confrontation,” Ramnap said.

The attack, allegedly carried out by armed herders, left a trail of devastation as homes were razed, farmlands destroyed, and entire families wiped out.

While local resistance reportedly held off one group of attackers, another group infiltrated the area near a church where residents had taken refuge, resulting in the highest number of casualties.

Ramnap emphasized that the community expected help that never came saying, “If you are that close and you engaged them closely like that, you should be able to identify the route they used to escape and implement measures to intercept them. But so far, no arrests have been made.”

The Commissioner confirmed that Governor Caleb Mutfwang had called for immediate investigations and demanded at least some arrests be made to send a strong message that such impunity would not be tolerated.