20 killed, many injured as gunmen sack another Plateau community
At least 20 people were, on Monday night, killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias who invaded the Bindi community in Ta-Hoss district of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, while an unspecified number were injured as residents fled the community for safety.
In a statement jointly signed by Gideon Manjal and Gadu Daniel Dong, the Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the Riyom chapter of the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), the assailants stormed the village when the people had retired for the night and carried out a house-to-house attack, killing innocent people including women, children, and the aged who could not manage to escape.
The Coalition statement, obtained by SOCIETY WATCH on Tuesday, said the attackers, who were identified by survivors as Fulani extremists, were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and made it clear that their mission was to exterminate the people and take over their land.
The attackers, who were properly identified as Fulani extremists by survivors, stormed the Bindi community in Ta-Hoss district of Riyom Local Government Area on Monday night and, in their regular pattern of attack which is consistent with several previous attacks across Riyom and other parts of Plateau, systematically slaughtered over 20 innocent people including women, children, and old people,” the statement said.
“This assault occurred despite the visible presence of security forces in and around the area, including armored military assets. Homes were burned, families displaced, and trauma deepened.
“It must be clearly stated that these attackers are not unknown. Their hideouts and base settlements in nearby enclaves have been repeatedly identified and reported by community leaders and local authorities. Yet, year after year, these known threats continue to strike with impunity, often unchallenged.
“The recurring nature of these atrocities points not only to a failure of protection but raises grave questions about inaction, negligence, and systemic compromise.”
1The group called on President Bola Tinubu, the Plateau State government, and security agencies to order a high-level intervention and military operation to dismantle the known terrorist enclaves, as well as declare a state of emergency in the affected areas and provide direct humanitarian relief, community rebuilding efforts, and trauma support.
They also frowned at the daily burial of their relatives and condolence visits and press statements from government officials, which usually end up in rhetoric without any concrete action to curtail the attacks on communities across the state.
“Our people are being buried daily. We are tired of condolence visits and silence. We are tired of press statements that do not translate to protection.
“The community of Ta-Hoss, like Jol, Rim, Bachi, Wereng, Nding, and other previously hit areas, deserves more than sympathy. They deserve security, dignity, and justice,” they said.
