A fresh wave of violence in central Nigeria has resulted in the tragic loss of at least nine lives, just weeks after a surge in intercommunal clashes claimed nearly 200 lives, according to local government authorities on Thursday.
The incidents occurred in the Bokkos district of Plateau State over Tuesday and Wednesday, where three separate attacks unfolded, exacerbating the region’s longstanding challenges with religious and ethnic tensions.
Chairman of the Bokkos local authority, Monday Kassah, reported that five individuals were killed while tending to their potato farm at Butura Kampani. Additionally, three more lives were lost on Wednesday in another attack behind the university, with gunshots echoing across farmland near Plateau State University Bokkos campus.
Azi Peter, a staff member, confirmed the recovery of three bodies in the aftermath of the gunfire near the university.
Another fatality occurred on Tuesday in Butura Kampani village, as reported by Kassah. Despite the prevalence of violence between farmers and nomadic herders in the area, authorities have yet to attribute responsibility for these recent attacks.
Expressing concern, Umar Ori, the head of the MACBAN cattle breeders association in Bokkos, stated, “We are worried that every day our people are attacked and killed,” emphasizing the need for sustained efforts to bring lasting peace to the affected communities.
The northwest and central regions of Nigeria have been grappling with the menace of bandit militias, responsible for raiding villages, killing or kidnapping residents for ransom.
During the Christmas period, approximately 20 villages in the Bokkos and Barkin Ladi districts were attacked, resulting in the loss of at least 198 lives, with the majority of casualties reported in Christian villages.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who assumed office in May of the previous year, has pledged to address Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges, including the longstanding jihadist conflict in the northeast that has persisted for 14 years.
