On Christmas Eve, a series of assaults occurred in villages within the Central Nigerian state of Plateau, resulting in the tragic death of nearly 113 Christian herders, with over 300 sustaining severe injuries. This toll significantly surpasses the initially reported figure of 16 fatalities on Sunday evening. Notably, the central region of Nigeria has long grappled with religious and ethnic tensions, with herders frequently facing brutal attacks from Muslim farmers, often referred to as “Bandits.”
Kassah, the head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, revealed to the media on Monday that 113 individuals had been confirmed dead due to hostilities inflicted by armed farmer groups on civilians in Plateau. He disclosed that Bandits executed “well-coordinated” assaults on over 20 communities, destroying homes in the process. These Bandit militias operate from concealed bases within forests, conducting raids on villages to plunder and abduct residents for ransom.
Plateau, situated in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, is part of a culturally and religiously diverse group of states where community disputes have tragically claimed hundreds of lives in recent years. Amnesty International, a human rights-focused organization, criticized the Nigerian government for its perceived failure to protect the herders in Central Nigeria, who have been enduring deadly attacks by Bandit militias for an extended period.
The recent attacks represent the most severe since May, when over 100 individuals fell victim to Bandit violence.
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