The Plateau State Government has openly criticised the Nigerian Army for its inability to apprehend or neutralise the gunmen responsible for the killing of 27 farmers in the Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area, on Monday.
During an appearance on The Morning Brief by Channels Television on Friday, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, expressed deep concern over the military’s failure to make any arrests, especially given the closeness of their checkpoint to the scene of the attack.
“The checkpoint is barely 200 metres from where this incident happened,” Ramnap said. “The response we got was that none of the attackers were arrested, despite engaging them. And unfortunately, none of the victims were spared.”
She noted that Tahoss is not a remote village and is surrounded by accessible roads and military presence, making the attackers’ escape troubling. Ramnap called for a thorough investigation into the incident, stating that the situation raises serious questions about security coordination.
“We do not want to generalise and claim the entire Army is compromised, but there is certainly room for deeper scrutiny,” she added. “The governor specifically asked for answers—how the attackers escaped despite such proximity to the military.”
The Commissioner condemned the attack as unprovoked and genocidal, adding that in addition to the loss of human lives, crops were also destroyed by the assailants.
According to her, the attack was coordinated from three directions, with the deadliest group targeting civilians hiding inside a church. “One part of the community managed to hold off the attackers, but the group that reached those in hiding near the church caused the most casualties,” Ramnap explained.
She recalled a chilling detail: “The pastor of the church fled with his wife, only for six people to be killed right inside his house.”
Plateau State has witnessed repeated attacks in recent months, with mounting casualties. In April 2025 alone, more than 100 people were killed in coordinated raids across Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas. That attack followed the tragic Christmas Eve massacre in 2023, which claimed approximately 150 lives.
The Plateau State Government continues to call for swift and coordinated action from security agencies, urging the Federal Government to intensify its efforts to end the bloodshed and protect farming communities.
