PLATEAU GOVERNMENT FAULTS MILITARY OVER FAILURE TO ARREST KILLERS OF 27 FARMERS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Plateau State Government has criticised the Nigerian Army for failing to arrest or neutralise the attackers responsible for the killing of 27 farmers in Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area, despite the proximity of military checkpoints to the scene.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, expressed deep concern over the military’s response to the deadly attack, which occurred on Monday.

“The checkpoint is barely 200 metres from where this incident happened,” Ramnap said. “The response we got was that none were arrested and none were captured, despite reports that the attackers were engaged. The victims got no reprieve from that effort.”

She added that the Tahoss community is situated along an accessible road and surrounded by military installations, raising questions about the army’s inability to prevent the massacre or apprehend the assailants.

Ramnap emphasised that while the government is cautious not to generalise or accuse all soldiers of complicity, it believes that more decisive action could have been taken. “If you engaged them that closely, then you should have been able to track or arrest some of them,” she said.

The commissioner described the attack as both unprovoked and genocidal, echoing the position earlier expressed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang. In addition to killing the farmers, the attackers reportedly destroyed farmlands and crops, deepening the community’s suffering.

She further disclosed that the attack was coordinated from three different directions. While one group was repelled, another cell of attackers targeted civilians hiding in a church, resulting in the highest number of casualties.

“The pastor of the church had to flee with his wife,” Ramnap recounted. “Unfortunately, six people were killed right in his house.”

Plateau State has been rocked by a series of deadly assaults in recent months. In April, over 100 people were killed in coordinated attacks across Bokkos and Bassa LGAs, in what became the deadliest incident since about 150 residents were murdered during a Christmas Eve massacre in 2023.

The state government is now calling for thorough investigations and accountability within the security apparatus to prevent further bloodshed.