Gunmen Kill 20, Injure Many in Fresh Attack on Plateau Village

At least 20 residents of Bindi village in Ta-Hoss District, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, lost their lives Monday night when gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen stormed the community.

Eyewitnesses said the heavily armed attackers struck late in the night, moving from house to house in a coordinated assault that left several people dead, including women, children, and the elderly. Many others sustained injuries as they fled into the surrounding bushes to escape the violence.

The local chapter of the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) condemned the attack in a statement released Tuesday, signed by its Chairman, Gideon Manjal, and Publicity Secretary, Gadu Daniel Dong. The group described the incident as another deliberate attempt to displace locals from their ancestral land.

“The assailants, identified by survivors as Fulani militants, carried out a brutal and organized raid, targeting helpless residents in their homes,” the statement said. “This pattern mirrors previous coordinated attacks on communities across Riyom and other parts of Plateau.”

The group also expressed concern that the attack took place despite the presence of security forces in the area, including military hardware and personnel. Homes were destroyed, families torn apart, and survivors left traumatized.

According to COPDEM, local leaders have repeatedly reported the hideouts of these attackers to authorities, yet no decisive action has been taken. The coalition blamed the ongoing violence on official inaction and what it described as systemic neglect.

“These attackers are not ghosts. Their locations are well-known and have been reported time and again. The fact that they continue to operate freely points to a deep failure of governance and protection,” the group stated.

They urged President Bola Tinubu and the Plateau State government to urgently declare a state of emergency in the region and launch military operations to dismantle armed enclaves. The group also called for emergency relief efforts and long-term support to rebuild affected communities.

“We cannot continue to bury our people while leaders offer empty condolences and recycled statements. Communities like Ta-Hoss, Jol, Rim, Nding, and others deserve real protection, not just promises,” the statement added.