Plateau: Terrorist Launch Fresh Attack on Another Community

A community of Budel in the Tangur region of the same local government was attacked on Thursday night, just a few days after armed groups attacked the Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau State between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning.

Monday Kassah, the chairman of the Bokkos Transition Committee, revealed that nighttime raiders destroyed and set fire to homes in the town.

According to Kassah, there were no recorded deaths since security personnel acted promptly.

The committee chairman confirmed that rescue efforts to locate individuals who are missing were still on while providing an update on the attack that occurred on Christmas Day. He stated that the current total of casualties is 195.

Of the number, 148 were killed in Bokkos Local Government Area, 19 in Mangu Local Government Area, and 27 in Barkin Ladi. 1,290 houses were burnt down in Bokkos council, one house was razed in Mangu LGA and that of Barkin Ladi was yet to be ascertained at press time.

Following the attacks, Amnesty International blasted the government, claiming in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau state.”

Tensions between various ethnic and religious groups have plagued the plateau region for a number of years.

In recent years, intercommunal violence has claimed thousands of lives and resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Intensified by climate challenges and high population increase, the competition for natural resources between farmers and nomadic herders has also provoked violence and exacerbated social tensions.