- Safiu Kehinde
The Plateau State Government has on Friday organised a mass burial for the 27 persons killed in the recent attack on Bindi community of Tahoss, Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Recall that the community had on the 15th of July come under brutal attack by gunmen which left 27 residents of the community dead.
The criminals also destroyed houses, crops on farmlands and looted foodstuff and other properties worth millions of naira.
The state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had during his visit to the community promised to organise a befitting burial for the deceased persons.
As captured in a video shared on X, the caskets containing the body of the victims were conveyed to the gravesite by a truck with some onlookers and residents publicly wailing as the convoy passed through the street.
Speaking at the burial, Mr Sati Shuwa, the Chairman of Riyom LGA, decried the spate of attacks on rural communities in the locality.
He called on the Federal Government and security agencies to be proactive in tackling the security challenges in the state.
“People of Bindi and Riyom in general, we are gathered here today in an unspeakable grief with our hearts heavy with sorrow, to mourn our brothers and sisters.
” We are here to honour 27 precious lives that were cut down in a cruel and senseless act of violence.
“As your Chairman, I stand with you not only in leadership but in deep mourning.
“I cannot begin to imagine the pain, the silence in your homes or the weight of these empty spaces left behind,” he said.
Shuwa, who commiserated with the families who lost their loved ones, urged them to take solace in God.
“To the bereaved families, no words can truly comfort you, but please know that your pain is ours.
“Your loss is a wound in the hearts of all Riyom people; the entire state mourns with you,” he said.
The chairman, however, commended President Bola Tinubu and Mutfwang for the steps taken towards ensuring safety of lives and property in Plateau.
The mass burial was reportedly attended by government appointees, traditional rulers, religious leaders, among others.