Death toll from the attack on the Jebbu Binde village of Ta-Hoss District in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday night, has risen above 30 from the initial 20 that was recorded.
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia on Tuesday invaded the community at about 11pm and killed 20 people, while an unspecified number were injured as residents fled the community for safety.
The Chairman and the Publicity Secretary of the Riyom chapter of Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Gideon Manjal and Gadu Daniel Dong, in a joint statement, had said that the heavily armed assailants carrying sophisticated weapons, stormed the village when the people had retired for the night and carried out a house to house attack, killing innocent people including women, children and the aged who could not manage to escape.
“The attackers who were properly identified as Fulani extremists by survivors, stormed the Bindi community in Ta-Hoss district of Riyom Local Government Area on Monday night and in their regular pattern of attack which is consistent with several previous attacks across Riyom and other parts of Plateau, systematically slaughtered over 20 innocent people including women, children and old people,” the statement had said.
However, a youth leader from the community, Dauda Dung, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday night, said the death toll had gone up from 20 to 32 after the youths discovered seven bodies in the bushes, while five of those who were injured died while receiving treatment.
“After the attack on Monday night, 20 people were found dead but later in the day after a visit by members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, the youths conducted a search in the surrounding rocks and bushes where seven corpses were discovered,” Dung said.
“Just this evening (Tuesday evening), I got a call from home that five of the injured victims had died while receiving treatment.
“I was also told that some people who were injured are still in critical conditions, which means we may end up losing more innocent people from the attack.
“We will continue to plead with the government and security agencies to be proactive in providing adequate security for our communities because this is not the first time these Fulani militias have attacked us and surely, this will not be the last,” Dung said.
