A deadly assault in the early hours of Tuesday has left at least 27 people dead in the Bindi-Jebbu area of Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The victims, mostly local farmers including both men and women, were reportedly killed when gunmen invaded the village, unleashing a brutal attack.

Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene as the assailants, suspected to be armed herders, fired indiscriminately and set several homes ablaze. Dozens of villagers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to medical facilities, including the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Hospital, for urgent treatment.

Local authorities have confirmed the attack, although exact casualty figures are still being verified. Chairman of Riyom LGA, Bature Sati Shuwa, acknowledged the incident but said he was en route to the affected area and could not provide full details at the time.

As of press time, neither the Plateau State Police Command nor Operation Safe Haven, a joint security task force in the region, had released an official statement. Attempts to reach their spokespersons, Major Samson Zhakom and DSP Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful.

The Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), however, confirmed the killings. The group’s National President, Dalyop Solomon, told reporters in Jos that 27 people had been killed and that their bodies had been moved to local morgues pending burial arrangements.

Solomon stated that the attack occurred between 4:00 am and 6:00 am, and blamed it on armed Fulani groups allegedly operating from neighboring communities such as Bangai-Fulani and Ganawuri. He also accused some security personnel of turning a blind eye, alleging that prior intelligence about the planned attack was ignored.

In a joint statement issued later Tuesday by BYM Secretary General Bature Iliya Adazaram and Solomon, the group condemned the violence and expressed outrage over what they described as complicity by certain security operatives.

“What happened in Jebbu is yet another orchestrated act of violence carried out under the watch of compromised security agents,” the statement read. “Despite having prior knowledge of the attack, the reinforcement team of Operation Safe Haven remained stationed by the roadside while killings went on until daybreak.”

Despite their criticism, the group commended the gallantry of a separate unit of Operation Safe Haven stationed in Sopp, who reportedly engaged the attackers and helped repel them from one flank of the community.

The latest massacre underscores the ongoing security crisis plaguing parts of Plateau State. In response to growing concerns, the state government recently recruited 150 agro-rangers to enhance protection for farming communities.

This attack has once again raised urgent questions about the effectiveness of current security measures and the need for a more coordinated and proactive response to the violence that continues to claim innocent lives across the region.