The Bindi hamlet in the Ta-Hoss district of the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State was invaded by gunmen suspected of being Fulani militias on Monday night, resulting in the alleged deaths of at least 20 people.
The attackers reportedly carried out a well-planned, nighttime, house-to-house onslaught, killing locals, including women, children, and the old, who were unable to flee the bloodbath.
Panic-stricken people raced into the nearby bushes for refuge, injuring an unknown number of locals.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, Gideon Manjal and Gadu Daniel Dong, the Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) chapter in Riyom, said the group was deeply frustrated by what they called a systemic failure to protect vulnerable communities.
The statement said, “The attackers stormed the Bindi community… and in their regular pattern of attack… systematically slaughtered over 20 innocent people.” Survivors correctly recognized the perpetrators as Fulani extremists.
Despite the obvious presence of security officers and armored military assets stationed in and around the location, COPDEM reported the assault nevertheless occurred.
According to reports, the invaders, who were armed with advanced weaponry, burned down houses and uprooted several families. The attackers’ goal, according to survivors, was to exterminate indigenous populations and seize their territory.
“This attack happened… The group reported that trauma worsened, families were uprooted, and homes were torched.
Authorities were accused by the coalition of disregarding numerous warnings about the terrorists’ location and presence.
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“We know who these attackers are. Local authorities and community leaders have noted and identified their base settlements and hiding places on numerous occasions. But year after year, these threats persist, frequently going unopposed, the organization continued.
The recurring murders, they claimed, raise serious concerns about official negligence, collusion, or failure.
“These atrocities’ repeated occurrences raise serious concerns about inaction, carelessness, and systemic compromise in addition to pointing to a failure of protection,” they stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Plateau State Government, and the security services were urged by the group to immediately proclaim a state of emergency in the impacted areas, dismantle the identified terrorist enclaves, and initiate a high-level military operation.
They also called for immediate humanitarian aid, community reconstruction initiatives, and psychological assistance for those who had survived.
According to COPDEM, the practice of condolence visits and meaningless press releases from public figures has not significantly reduced the amount of bloodshed.
“Every day, our folks are being buried. We are sick and weary of silence and condolence visits. The statement said, “We are fed up with publicity releases that don’t result in protection.
Communities like Bachi, Wereng, Nding, Jol, Rim, and Ta-Hoss, they maintained, “deserve more than sympathy.” They are entitled to safety, respect, and fairness.
