27 Farmers K!lled In Fresh Plateau Attack

Another deadly attack has claimed the lives of 27 farmers, including men and women. According to Punch, the victims were reportedly k!lled in a fresh attack by gunmen in Bindi-Jebbu of the Tahoss community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Villagers said the attack, which occurred on Monday, also left many people injured, with several rushed to hospitals, including the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Hospital. The chairman of Riyom LGA, Bature Sati Shuwa, acknowledged the incident but could not give the casualty figure as of press time, saying he was on his way to the attacked community. Similarly, security agencies, including Operation Safe Haven and the state police command, have yet to issue any statement on the situation. The spokespersons of Operation Safe Haven and the state police command, Major Samson Zhakom and DSP Alabo Alfred, respectively, have not responded to the text messages sent to them by our correspondent as of press time. But the National President of Berom Youth Moulders Association, Dalyop Solomon, confirmed the killings to PUNCH Metro in Jos on Tuesday. According to him, the gunmen, suspected to be members of the Fulani ethnic group, stormed the community, shooting sporadically and setting several houses ablaze. “Twenty-seven persons were killed and many were injured. We have taken the bodies to different hospitals before the burial,” he said. Solomon said all corpses had been deposited at the morgues and a date for their burial would be announced in due course. The attack has once again highlighted the security challenges in Plateau State, where communities have been targeted by armed groups in recent times. It has also sparked concern and outrage, with many calling for increased security measures to protect the lives and property of citizens. Plateau State Government had last week recruited 150 new agro-rangers as part of efforts to address the security challenge facing the state. Meanwhile, in a statement later on Tuesday evening by the Secretary General of Berom Youth Moulders-Association, Bature Iliya Adazaram and the National President, Solomon Dalyop, the association condemned the attack, attributing it to armed Fulani groups from Bangai-Fulani, Ganawuri, and other places. According to the youth group, the attack occurred between 4:00 am and 6:00 am, on Tuesday and was facilitated by the alleged complicity of security agents. The association expressed disappointment in the reinforcement team’s inaction, despite prior knowledge of the planned attack. “What happened in Jebu this morning is the usual Fulani crime against humanity, deliberately carried out under the watch of some security agents who are said to have been compromised by colluding with the attackers. “The BYM, during an on-the-spot assessment at the scene of the attack, eyewitnesss under anonymity commended the Unit Commander of Operation Safe Haven, stationed at Sopp for their gallantry demonstrated in repelling the attackers from one end, but also registered their loss of confidence in the reinforcement team of the OPSH that came and stationed itself by the roadside, where the massacre was perpetrated even up to 6:00 am”