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Gunmen killed at least 27people in the Plateau State of north-central Nigeria, marking yet another episode of violence in this turbulent region, local sources said on Tuesday.
Plateau State, similar to other areas in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has long been plagued by violent confrontations between farmers and herders over land and resources, alongside violence perpetrated by armed criminal groups often referred to as “bandits.”
Resident Haggai Gankis told AFP that the assailants invaded the community of Jebu-Rahoss, situated in the Riyom local government area, on Monday evening, wielding firearms and machetes. He attributed the assault to herdsmen, while another resident, Chuwang David, blamed bandits.
For years, heavily armed gangs of bandits have escalated their attacks in rural regions of northwest and central Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Plateau State faces persistent conflicts between herders and farmers over shrinking land and grazing areas, further intensified by population growth and climate change.
In this ethnically and religiously diverse state, the majority of farmers are Christian, whereas herders primarily belong to the Fulani Muslim ethnic group, imparting a sectarian aspect to the clashes.
Land disputes, alongside political and economic stresses between locals and perceived outsiders, have deepened divisions in recent years, further complicated by an influx of extreme Muslim and Christian preachers.
A recent string of particularly fatal assaults on farmers this year has prompted residents to alert that these attacks are becoming more frequent, increasingly well-planned, and more systematic.
Incidents across Plateau and the adjacent Benue state led to over 150 fatalities in April alone. While high-profile murders attributed to herders have startled the nation, herders in the region assert that they are also victims of brutal attacks, land seizures, and cattle poisoning by farmers.
Much of the violence occurring in Plateau takes place in areas with minimal police or governmental presence, which researchers say provides criminals with a sense of immunity, as nearly all killings go unresolved.
