Key facts
- At least 25 people were killed in an overnight attack on a village in Nigeria's Plateau state.
- Attackers reportedly went house-to-house, killing residents with machetes.
- Women and children accounted for most of the victims.
At least 25 people were killed in an overnight attack on a village in Nigeria's central Plateau state, with residents reporting that attackers moved house-to-house, killing many women and children. The incident has heightened fears of violent reprisals in the region, which has long been plagued by tensions between farming communities and herders.
The attack underscores the persistent insecurity in Nigeria's Plateau state, highlighting the ongoing conflict between farming communities and herders and raising concerns about further retaliatory violence.
At least 25 people were killed in an overnight attack on a village in Nigeria's central Plateau state, according to local officials and residents. The violence, which saw attackers moving from house to house and killing residents with machetes, has heightened fears of retaliatory attacks in the restive region.
Lemun Le'an Iliya, a councillor for the area, stated that 23 people were killed in the initial attack, with another victim later dying in hospital. Resident Amos John confirmed that an additional victim had died, bringing the total fatalities to at least 25. He noted that women and children comprised the majority of those killed.
Plateau state police spokesperson Alfred Alabo informed Reuters that officers were being deployed to the area and that a statement would be issued after an assessment of the situation. The Mwaghavul Youth Movement, a local group, accused authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities and called for a review of security measures. Tubwot Joël Sunday, a spokesperson for the movement, stated that the recurring destruction of communities and killing of citizens could no longer be treated as ordinary incidents.
Plateau state, located in Nigeria's Middle Belt, has a long history of violence linked to disputes over land and grazing rights, often exacerbated by ethnic and religious divisions.