A local official in Plateau, Central Nigeria, disclosed on Monday that the death toll from weekend attacks had surged to 113, marking a distressing escalation in an area frequently plagued by conflicts between herders and farmers.
Describing the attacks as “well-coordinated,” Monday Kassah, the acting chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau State, highlighted the scale of the assault. “Not fewer than 20 different communities were attacked by the bandits,” he stated, underscoring the severity of the incidents.
“We have recovered 113 dead bodies from those communities. We have recovered more than 300 injured,” Kassah reported, painting a grim picture of the aftermath of the assaults.
The responsible parties behind the attacks were not specified by Kassah, who emphasized that immediate medical attention had been provided to the injured, transporting them to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Unfortunately, a Plateau police spokesperson remained unreachable for comment, leaving crucial details and official responses pending in the wake of the violence.
Plateau, situated in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and known for its ethnic and religious diversity, has been a recurrent hotspot for inter-communal conflicts. These conflicts, often depicted as clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farmers, have resulted in a tragic loss of lives over recent years.
While the narrative often revolves around ethno-religious tensions, underlying factors such as climate change and the expansion of agriculture significantly contribute to the recurring violence in the region.
