The Plateau State Government has strongly criticized the Nigerian military over its failure to prevent a deadly assault on Bindi (Jebu) village in the Tahoss District of Riyom Local Government Area, where more than 20 people were killed last Tuesday.

The government expressed outrage that the attack occurred a mere 200 meters from a military checkpoint, yet no intervention or arrests were made. The incident has reignited public anger and calls for a thorough review of the nation’s security strategy in volatile regions.

Speaking during interviews on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief and TVC on Friday, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, conveyed the administration’s disappointment, suggesting either negligence or deliberate inaction by military personnel stationed nearby.

“This isn’t a remote area or inaccessible terrain,” Ramnap said. “The checkpoint is just about 200 meters from the site of the attack. It’s shocking that such a gruesome massacre could occur so close to a military presence without any response or arrests.”

According to the Commissioner, the attackers believed to be armed herders descended on the village in waves, burning homes, destroying farmlands, and killing entire families. While one group was reportedly repelled by local defenders, another advanced toward a church where residents had sought shelter, causing the highest number of casualties.

Ramnap said the villagers had hoped for military intervention that never came. “At that proximity, one would expect the military to track the attackers or block their escape routes. But nothing was done, and no arrests have been made to date,” she said.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has since ordered a full investigation into the incident, calling for urgent arrests to demonstrate that impunity will not be tolerated in the state.

“We’re not condemning the entire Nigerian Army. We acknowledge the efforts of many brave officers, particularly those serving within Plateau,” Ramnap clarified. “However, there are clearly elements whose failure to act is costing lives.”

She disclosed that the attackers invaded from three directions. “Local resistance managed to repel one group. Sadly, the group that made it to the church area inflicted the greatest harm,” she said.

Ramnap also recounted the story of a local pastor who fled his home as the attackers approached. “The pastor couldn’t wait to be slaughtered. He fled with his wife. Six people were later killed inside his home,” she narrated.

The state government condemned the attack as unprovoked and barbaric. In addition to the killings, large expanses of farmland were set ablaze, compounding the humanitarian crisis and threatening food security in the region.

Echoing Governor Mutfwang, Ramnap described the repeated attacks as a form of ethnic cleansing targeting indigenous communities. “This goes beyond politics or property disputes. Lives are being lost in droves, and entire communities are being wiped out. We can no longer treat this as routine violence,” she stressed.

While the military has yet to issue an official response, the incident has heightened scrutiny of Nigeria’s security apparatus and raised troubling questions about the military’s role in conflict-prone regions.

Across Plateau, communities are demanding stronger and more transparent security interventions to halt the cycle of violence.

As families in Bindi mourn and bury their loved ones, many express deep disillusionment with a system they believe has failed to protect them. Without urgent action and visible justice, for them, hope continues to fade.