Media Wire Express Correspondent
The death toll in weekend attacks in the central Nigerian state of Plateau has risen to 113, a local official said on Monday, in a region where clashes between herders and farmers are common.
It is the worst outbreak of violence in Plateau since May, when more than 100 people were killed in farmer-herder attacks.
The acting chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State said 113 people had been killed in the attacks on Saturday and Sunday.
“The attacks were well-coordinated. Not fewer than 20 different communities were attacked by the bandits,” he said. “We have recovered 113 dead bodies from those communities. We have recovered more than 300 injured.”
The attacks which started in the Bokkos area spilled into neighboring Barkin Ladi where 30 people were found dead, according to local chairman Danjuma Dakil.
On Sunday, state governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attack, calling it “barbaric, brutal and unjustified”.
“Proactive measures will be taken by the government to curb ongoing attacks against innocent civilians,” said Gyang Bere, the governor’s spokesperson.
Gunfire could still be heard late afternoon Sunday, according to a source from the region.
Amnesty International criticized the government in the wake of the attacks, saying “the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau state,” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Northwest and central Nigeria have been long terrorized by bandit militias operating from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom.
