Toll Rises in Central Nigeria Attacks to 198: Authorities
Defense News ,Nigeria :- In a grim turn of events, the death toll from a recent spate of attacks on villages in central Nigeria has surged to nearly 200, according to local authorities who provided an update on Wednesday. The assaults, carried out by armed groups between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning, targeted Plateau State, an area plagued by longstanding religious and ethnic tensions.
Initially reported at 163 casualties, the toll was revised during a meeting with Nigeria vice president. Monday Kassah, the head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, disclosed that 148 Bokkos villagers had lost their lives in the attacks. Additionally, at least 50 people were reported dead in various villages in the Barkin Ladi area, as confirmed by Dickson Chollom, a member of the state parliament.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, during a meeting with local officials and displaced individuals, urged unity and cautioned against succumbing to divisive rhetoric. Expressing concern over the potential for the death toll to rise further, Kassah revealed that some individuals remained missing, while 500 people were injured, and thousands had been displaced.
The attacks targeted at least 20 villages in well-coordinated strikes spanning from Saturday evening to Monday morning. Reports indicated that gunfire could still be heard on late Monday afternoon, highlighting the gravity of the situation in a region situated on the dividing line between Nigeria predominantly Muslim north and mainly Christian south.
In response to the tragedy, the vice president of the Church of Christ in Nations, Timothy Nuwan, stated that a significant number of the deceased were laid to rest on Tuesday, with the toll reaching 150.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu decried the attacks and swiftly ordered security agencies to take immediate action, scouring every inch of the affected zone to apprehend those responsible. Plateau State governor Caleb Mutfwang echoed the call for united efforts to identify and capture the perpetrators behind these heinous acts.
The northwest and central regions of Nigeria have long been plagued by bandit militias operating from forest bases, terrorizing villages, looting, and kidnapping residents for ransom. The ongoing competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers, exacerbated by population growth and climate pressures, has further fueled social tensions and violence.
President Tinubu, since assuming office in May, has prioritized addressing insecurity as part of efforts to attract foreign investment to Africa most populous country. As the nation grapples with internal conflicts, the UN World Food Programme has issued a warning about the potential for conflict, insecurity, inflation, and climate change to significantly escalate hunger levels across Nigeria in the coming year.
