The Plateau State Government has expressed frustration with the Nigerian Army for failing to apprehend or neutralise the gunmen who killed 27 farmers in Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area, on Monday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, said the military had engaged the attackers during the incident but failed to make any arrests, despite the proximity of a checkpoint.
“The checkpoint is barely 200 metres from where this incident happened.
“The response we got was that none were arrested and none were captured. None of those killed were affected by all that happened,” she said.
She noted that the attacked community is near an access road and surrounded by military checkpoints, making the lack of arrests more concerning.
Ramnap stated, “It is not a hidden community that we would say it is far, and that is why the people were not able to access help.
“We do not want to stereotype and say that the entire Army compromised in this case.
“However, there is room to do more investigation, and the governor specifically requested that at least they should have some form of arrest.
“If you are that close and you engaged them closely like that, you should be able to say this is where they followed and the measures to arrest them, but so far, no arrest has been made.”
Ramnap described the attack as unprovoked and despicable, adding that in addition to killing people, the assailants destroyed crops on farmland.