“The Soldiers Watched It Happen”: Plateau Community Leader Laments Massacre

A wave of grief and outrage has swept through Jebbu Binde village in Ta-Hoss District of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State, following a brutal assault that claimed the lives of over 30 residents. According to iReporter Online, the attackers, suspected to be Fulani militias, invaded the community in broad daylight and operated unchallenged for several hours.

Reverend Davou Musa, Chairman of the Regional Church Council of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), delivered a scathing account during Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s visit to the scene. Addressing the governor directly, Rev. Musa accused Nigerian military personnel stationed just 200 meters from the village of enabling the massacre by refusing to intervene despite desperate calls for assistance.

The clergyman expressed disbelief that such a coordinated and prolonged assault could occur so close to military presence without collusion. He asserted that the soldiers deliberately ignored their responsibility, failing to protect the villagers and allowing the attackers to wreak havoc, destroy homes and a church, and loot food supplies. He claimed that these events were not isolated but formed part of a troubling pattern of security forces allegedly siding with Fulani militias.

According to iReporter Online, Rev. Musa went further to state that when Fulani herders report cattle theft, security operatives respond instantly with overwhelming force, but similar urgency is never shown when human lives are at stake. He lamented what he described as a “compromised and partial” security structure, where military units appear more concerned about safeguarding cattle than saving citizens.

He also emphasized that the disparity in the military’s response to different crises reflects a dangerous bias and questioned the continued presence of the special military task force in the region. He urged the federal government to withdraw the troops if they cannot fulfill their constitutional mandate to protect lives and property.

According to iReporter Online, many residents of Riyom are now living in fear, unsure of who to trust, as the community recovers from another devastating blow amid Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.