The massacre of innocent civilians have resumed in Plateau State as gunmen reportedly attacked Bindi-Jebbu, Tahoss community of Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of the State, killing no fewer than 27 farmers, including women and children.
The Tuesday assault came just a day after another attack on Gwon village in Rim community, also in Riyom LGA, where at least three people were killed.
Reports indicate that many others were injured in the latest attack and rushed to various hospitals, including Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau Hospital, and other health facilities across the State.
Chairman of Riyom LGA, Bature Sati Shuwa, confirmed the incident but could not provide a casualty figure at the time, stating he was en route to the affected community and still gathering information.
However, Dalyop Solomon, National President of the Berom Youth Moulder Association (BYM), who spoke to journalists in Jos, said he was at the scene and confirmed that 27 corpses had been recovered.
Solomon accused members of the Fulani ethnic group of carrying out the attack-an allegation denied by the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
Solomon said the attackers stormed the community around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, shooting sporadically and setting several houses ablaze.
He added that hundreds of residents have since fled the area for fear of further violence.
He said security personnel, including operatives of Operation Safe Haven and the police, arrived after the attack but were slow to respond when the gunmen first struck.
The BYM President said all the recovered bodies have been deposited in hospitals and that a burial date would be announced soon.
“Twenty-seven persons were killed, and many were injured. We can’t confirm the exact number of those injured because they were taken to different hospitals.
“However, the death toll is confirmed to be 27. The bodies have been taken to various hospitals in preparation for burial. We plan to give them a state burial,” he said.
The group decried the killings, describing them as a targeted campaign against the Berom people.
“The Berom people are being systematically hunted. It is apparent that war has been declared on us by these bloodthirsty terrorists, whose aim is to annihilate us from the face of the earth.
“Today, we weep for Jebbu, but our tears must now give way to righteous anger, resolve, and united action,” the group said in a statement.
While condemning the attack, the group called for an urgent and independent investigation into the killings and demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
It also urged the government to compensate the families of those who lost their lives.
Eyewitnesses and survivors described the incident as devastating and called on security agencies to take urgent steps to prevent a recurrence.
Mr. Chuwang David, a resident of the affected community, narrated his experience, saying that the armed attackers invaded the area at night, killing and injuring many people.
“We were sleeping at night when we suddenly heard gunshots. The attackers shot many people and also used machetes to kill others.
“I saw about 11 dead bodies. But I can now confirm that after security personnel and officials of our local organisation went around the community, more bodies were discovered, bringing the total number of casualties to 27,” he said.
Mr. Da Chomo Moses, another resident, said some of his relatives were among the victims.
“Three of my relatives were killed for no reason. Now, 27 innocent people have been attacked and killed. We are grateful to God that the attackers didn’t get to our section of the community. They fired gunshots and stabbed people with knives and machetes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, has denied allegations that members of the group were responsible for the recent attack in Riyom LGA, describing the claims as baseless.
Babayo said it is the sole responsibility of security agencies to investigate incidents and draw conclusions based on facts.
“We condemn any act of criminality, regardless of who the victim is. However, the allegation by the Berom is untrue. No attack was carried out by our members. Only the security agencies can investigate and reach a conclusion,” he said.
He called on security operatives to thoroughly probe the matter and cautioned against unjustly linking the group to incidents it knows nothing about.
“People should stop associating attacks with a group that is not involved or aware of what is happening,” he added.
Security agencies, including Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and the Plateau State Police Command, have yet to issue any official statement regarding the incident.
At the time of filing this report, the spokespersons for OPSH and the police command, Major Samson Zhakom and DSP Alabo Alfred, respectively, had not responded to text messages sent to them by our correspondent.
Similarly, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joys Ramnap, did not respond to calls made by our correspondent at press time.
Written with reports from Daily Trust