The Plateau State Government has expressed strong disapproval of the Nigerian Army’s failure to apprehend or neutralise the attackers who killed 27 farmers in the Tahoss community of Riyom Local Government Area on Monday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, criticised the military for not making any arrests, despite reportedly making contact with the assailants during the attack.
“The checkpoint is barely 200 meters from where this incident happened,” Ramnap stated. “The response we got was that none were arrested and none were captured. None of those killed were saved by all that happened.”
She emphasised that the attacked community is not in a remote location and lies close to an access road that has existing military checkpoints.
“It’s not like the community is hidden or inaccessible,” she said. “We’re not saying the entire Army compromised, but clearly, there is a need for a deeper investigation.”
Ramnap added that the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had specifically called for arrests to be made. “If the soldiers were that close and reportedly engaged the attackers, then at the very least, there should be information on their escape route or some effort at pursuing them. But nothing so far,” she said.
The commissioner condemned the attacks as senseless and brutal, highlighting the destruction of both lives and farmlands.
“These killings are unprovoked and wicked. Beyond taking lives, the attackers go further to destroy farmlands and crops,” she lamented.
Governor Mutfwang, who visited Tahoss community on Wednesday, described the repeated assaults as genocidal. Ramnap echoed his concerns.
“As the governor noted, we do have courageous soldiers trying their best to protect Plateau, but unfortunately, there are still some bad elements in the system,” she said.
Ramnap explained that the attack came from three different directions. While one part of the community managed to repel the attackers, another area, where residents were taking refuge in a church, suffered the worst casualties.
“The pastor of that church fled when the violence escalated. His wife followed, but tragically, six people were killed in his house,” she recounted.
Plateau faces incessant attacks
Plateau State has been repeatedly hit by violent attacks in recent years. In April 2025, over 100 people were killed in coordinated assaults on communities in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs. That incident drew both national and international condemnation and followed a deadly Christmas Eve massacre in 2023, where about 150 residents were killed in Bokkos.
Despite continued calls for decisive military and security responses, many residents say justice remains elusive.
