At least 160 people have been brutally killed in a series of coordinated attacks by armed fighters on over 20 villages across central Nigeria’s Plateau State, officials confirmed Monday.
This sharp rise from the initial army report of 16 casualties paints a grim picture of escalating violence in a region long plagued by religious and ethnic tensions.
“As Saturday’s hostilities stretched into Monday, we’ve confirmed 113 lives lost,” lamented Monday Kassah, head of the Bokkos local government.
He described the fighters, locally known as “bandits,” as launching “well-oordinated” attacks, torching houses and leaving widespread devastation in their wake.
Over 300 injured were rushed to hospitals in Bokkos, Jos, and Barkin Ladi, highlighting the sheer scale of the tragedy.
The Red Cross provided a provisional toll of 104 deaths in 18 Bokkos villages, while another 50 fatalities were reported in Barkin Ladi. Dickson Chollom, a state parliament member, condemned the attacks, urging swift action from security forces.
“We will not be cowed by these merchants of death,” he declared, stressing their unwavering pursuit of justice and lasting peace.
The violence, originating in Bokkos, spilled over to neighboring Barkin Ladi, claiming at least 30 lives there as well. Locals like Markus Amorudu recalled the horror of waking up to gunfire in Mushu village.
“We were scared, unprepared for an attack. Many were captured, some killed, others wounded,” he recounted, his voice heavy with grief.
Human rights group Amnesty International criticized the government’s response, pointing to its “failure to end frequent deadly attacks” in the region.
This episode echoes the long-standing terror inflicted by bandit militias operating from forest bases, raiding villages for loot and kidnapping residents for ransom. Competition for resources between herders and farmers, further strained by population growth and climate pressures, further fuels the social tensions and violence in the region.
Nigeria’s northeast has been ravaged by a separate militants conflict since 2009, displacing millions and claiming tens of thousands of lives.
As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, elected earlier this year, grapples with Africa’s largest economy’s persistent security challenges, the question of effectively addressing the bloodshed in Plateau State remains starkly unaddressed.
