Plateau kills: indignation as over 20 killed near the military checkpoint

There is a widespread indignation in the state of the plateau following the killing of over 20 residents in the village of Bindi (Jebu), Tahoss district in the area of the local government of Riyom, just 200 meters from a military checkpoint.

The government of the state of the plateau, which expresses a profound frustration, condemned what described as a shocking failure by military personnel to respond to the deadly attack, which took place last Tuesday and was presumably made by armed shepherds.

The state commissioner for information and communication, Joyce Ramnap, speaking of television channels and TVc on Friday, accused the military of not having acted despite their closeness to the village.

“This is not a hidden community that we would say is inaccessible. The checkpoint is just 200 meters from where the accident happened. It is disconcerting that this atrocity can be performed without a single arrest or comparison,” said Ramnap.

According to the local accounts, the attackers attacked from three directions. While a group was rejected by the inhabitants of the village, another broke through a church in which people had taken refuge, resulting in the greatest number of victims. The houses were granted, the destroyed agricultural land and entire families decimated.

Ramnap said that governor Caleb Mutfwang has ordered an immediate investigation and requested arrests to report zero tolerance for impunity.

“If you are so close and I commit yourself closely, you should be able to identify the path they have used and intercept them. But so far no arrest has been made,” he said.

He clarified that the government was not accusing the entire Nigerian army, but insisted on the fact that the inaction of a little staff continues to cost innocent lives.

“There are gallant officers who make their best, also here in the plateau. But there are also bad eggs whose silence or negligence allows violence,” he added.

A shared chilling account provided for a local shepherd who fled from home, warning the danger. A few moments after his departure, according to six people reported they were killed at his home.

The state government described the attack as “not provoked and despicable”, warning that violence is equivalent to a genocide against the indigenous plateau.

“These are not lands or politics. These are deliberated killings. Entire communities are swept away,” said Ramnap.

So far, the military have not officially responded to the concerns of the state government. However, the accident has rekindled public criticisms of Nigeria’s security architecture, in particular the efficiency and reactivity of the troops deployed in the volatile regions.

Mourning families continue to bury their dead, many express disappointment and despair for what they describe as a failed system that has abandoned them.

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