The Plateau State Government has condemned the Nigerian military over its failure to prevent or respond effectively to a brutal attack that claimed the lives of 27 farmers in Riyom Local Government Area, despite a military checkpoint being just 200 meters away.
The attack, which occurred around 3 a.m. on July 16 in Bindi community, left widespread devastation across eight settlements, with homes set ablaze and crops destroyed.
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Governor Caleb Mutfwang has expressed deep concern over the military’s inaction, especially in light of prior intelligence warnings. He has called on security agencies to urgently overhaul their strategies for tackling persistent insecurity in the state and end the troubling pattern of attacks by so-called “unknown gunmen.”
During an appearance on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Ramnap Joyce, Plateau’s Commissioner for Information, criticised the military’s failure to act. She revealed that no arrests were made and none of the attackers were neutralised, despite soldiers reportedly coming into close contact with the gunmen during the incident.
Ramnap emphasised that the attack did not take place in an isolated area, but rather in a well-known location along a route with established checkpoints. She insisted that security forces could have responded swiftly and effectively, given the proximity and accessibility of the scene.
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“We’re not suggesting that the entire army is compromised, but we do expect greater accountability. If the attackers were confronted at close range, there should be leads or efforts underway to track them down”.
The commissioner also noted that while many soldiers serving in Plateau are performing admirably under difficult circumstances, some “bad eggs” appear to be undermining public trust and security efforts. She disclosed that one side of the community managed to repel the attackers, but the worst-hit area, where most casualties occurred
