Amnesty International Nigeria has strongly condemned the recent deadly attack in Plateau State, describing it as a horrific and shameful demonstration of the government’s failure to safeguard its citizens.
The attack took place on Monday in Bindi-Jebbu, part of the Tahoss community in Riyom Local Government Area, where at least 27 residents were brutally killed. According to Amnesty, entire families were deliberately targeted, with some locked in their homes and murdered, while others were gunned down while trying to flee.
“Entire families were locked up in their rooms and slaughtered one by one. Those who tried to escape were shot,” the organisation said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
The international human rights group also issued a scathing criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of failing to live up to repeated promises to end the cycle of violence plaguing parts of the country—especially in Plateau State, which has long been a hotspot for attacks on rural farming communities.
“President Bola Tinubu claims repeatedly to have ‘tasked’ security agencies to end the killings, but the mounting death toll clearly tells a different story,” Amnesty stated.
The organisation called for an impartial and thorough investigation into the killings, holding perpetrators accountable, and implementing urgent security reforms to prevent further bloodshed.
“The Nigerian authorities must impartially investigate these attacks to ensure that suspected perpetrators are held to account. More concrete steps must be taken to end the relentless bloodshed in Plateau State, in which typically, gunmen attack farming communities, slaughter people, and raze homes,” it added.
Amnesty further warned that continued government inaction was fuelling insecurity and eroding public trust. “The government of Nigeria has an obligation to protect the people. The rising death toll in some states and increasing impunity by gunmen shows just how badly the authorities are failing in this responsibility.”
The Bindi-Jebbu massacre marks yet another tragic chapter in Plateau’s long struggle with violence, highlighting the urgent need for more decisive government action to halt the ongoing crisis.
