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Amnesty International has condemned the killing of 24 people in an attack on Bin Mper community in Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, calling for an investigation into the security lapses that enabled the violence.
The attack, which took place on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, was described by Amnesty International as one of the deadliest recent attacks in the area.
Amnesty, in a statement shared on X, said images it obtained showed entire families killed inside their homes, including women with babies strapped to their backs.
It said another image showed five girls killed on their mother’s bed.
“Gory images obtained by Amnesty International show entire families locked up in one room and slaughtered with mothers having their babies tied to their backs in a pool of blood,” the organisation said.
“In one of the pictures five girls were slaughtered on their mother’s bed.”
The organisation said blood and bodies were found inside rooms and on verandas across the community, describing the attack as one carried out with “utter cruelty and disregard for the sanctity of life.”
The death toll of 24 cited by Amnesty is consistent with reports from local sources, although some media reports have put the number higher.
Reuters reported that at least 25 people were killed in the overnight attack, while other Nigerian outlets reported figures ranging from 24 to 26.
Amnesty called for an investigation into the security failures that allowed the attack.
“The inexcusable security lapses that enabled this horrific attack must be investigated,” the organisation said.
It also criticised the Nigerian government’s response to insecurity, saying recent attacks in Plateau indicated that measures announced by President Bola Tinubu had yet to sufficiently protect vulnerable communities.
“While President Bola Tinubu claims his government is implementing new security measures to address the rising insecurity in the country, recent attacks in Plateau state show that whatever security measures being implemented are not working,” Amnesty said.
The victims have been buried in a mass ceremony, while those injured in the attack are receiving treatment at various hospitals, according to Amnesty.
Recurring Violence in Plateau
The latest attack comes against the backdrop of years of deadly violence in Plateau State, particularly in Mangu, where tensions between farming communities and herders have repeatedly escalated into attacks and reprisals.
In January 2024, at least 30 people were killed in an attack on Kwahaslalek village in Mangu, according to community and humanitarian sources.
The violence followed renewed unrest in the area, prompting authorities to impose a curfew.
The state also experienced a wave of attacks in December 2023, when armed groups targeted communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi.
The attacks killed roughly 200 people, according to reports, and displaced thousands.
The conflict in Plateau has deep roots in disputes over land, farming and grazing, and ethnic and religious tensions.
Violence has frequently involved attacks and reprisals between predominantly Christian farming communities and Muslim Fulani herders.f
The recent Bin Mper attack has renewed concerns over the ability of security agencies to protect rural communities and prevent retaliatory cycles of violence.
Amnesty International strongly condemns the killing of 24 people by gunmen during an attack on Bin Mper community, Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area Plateau state, which took place on Tuesday 18th August, 2026.
Gory images obtained by Amnesty International show… pic.twitter.com/AHPC59URmM
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) August 18, 2026
