Africa-Press. Local officials and residents reported that at least 25 people were killed in a nighttime attack on a village in Plateau State, central Nigeria, amid escalating violence that raises fears of retaliatory attacks in the troubled region.
This incident highlights the ongoing insecurity in Plateau State, where tensions between farming communities and herders often escalate into retaliatory violence, resulting in casualties, displacement, and homelessness.
Lemon Lian Elia, a local council member for the area, stated that 23 people were killed in the attack, with another victim later dying in the hospital. A resident, Amos John, added that another victim was confirmed dead, bringing the total number of fatalities to at least 25. He explained that the attackers moved from house to house, killing residents with swords, with women and children making up the majority of the victims.
The spokesperson for the Plateau Police, Alfred Alabo, indicated that police personnel are deployed in the area and that a statement will be issued after assessing the situation. The Moagafol Youth Movement, a local group, accused the authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities and called for a review of the security situation in the region.
The group’s spokesperson, Tobut Joel Sunday, stated, “We cannot continue to treat the repeated destruction of communities, the killing of innocent citizens, the burning of homes, and the destruction of farmland as ordinary incidents.”
Plateau, located in Nigeria’s central belt, has long suffered from violence related to land disputes, grazing rights, and resources, often exacerbated by ethnic and religious divisions.
