The death toll from Monday night’s deadly attack on Jebbu Binde village in Ta-Hoss District of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State, has risen to 32. This was confirmed by a community youth leader, Dauda Dung, who spoke on Tuesday evening.
The attack, which began around 11pm, was reportedly carried out by heavily armed gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia. The attackers stormed the village while residents were asleep, going from house to house and killing anyone in sight — including women, children, and the elderly.
Initial reports on Tuesday had put the number of deaths at 20. However, according to Dung, a search operation by local youths later uncovered seven more bodies in nearby bushes and rocks. He added that five of those initially injured had died in hospital, bringing the total confirmed deaths to 32.
“Just this evening, I got a call that five of the injured victims had died while receiving treatment,” he said. “Some are still in critical condition, which means the death toll could rise.”
Dung appealed to the government and security agencies to do more to protect rural communities, saying this was not the first time such an attack had happened in Riyom.
“This has become a regular pattern. These Fulani militias have attacked us before, and if nothing is done, they will strike again,” he warned.
Earlier, in a joint statement, the Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the Riyom chapter of the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Gideon Manjal and Gadu Daniel Dong, condemned the attack. They described it as a well-coordinated massacre, with attackers using sophisticated weapons to kill innocent people in their sleep.
Communities in Riyom and other parts of Plateau State have suffered repeated attacks in recent years, often linked to ongoing conflicts between herders and farming communities. Residents have continued to call on the government for better security and justice for victims.