By Martin Cole-
At least 140 people have lost their lives, and others remain missing following a series of well-coordinated attacks by gunmen on remote villages in Plateau state, north-central Nigeria, over the Christmas weekend.
The attacks have been attributed to the ongoing farmer-herder crisis plaguing the West African nation.
The assailants, locally known as “bandits,” targeted not fewer than 20 different communities, unleashing violence that resulted in the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of numerous homes. Gunfire continued into Monday morning, leaving survivors and officials grappling with the aftermath of the onslaught.
Plateau Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, expressed the harrowing reality of the situation, revealing that in Mangu local governorate alone, 15 people were buried on Monday. Meanwhile, in Bokkos, authorities counted no less than 100 corpses.
The toll is expected to rise, with fears of a higher death count as some individuals remain unaccounted for.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria office confirmed 140 deaths in the Christian-majority Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi areas of Plateau, based on data compiled by its workers on the ground and local officials.
The organization also highlighted concerns about a potentially higher death toll given the missing individuals.
The attacks, characterized by their brutality, have drawn attention to the farmer-herder crisis, with some witnesses reporting a delayed response of more than 12 hours from security agencies.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but blame has been placed on herders from the Fulani tribe, who have faced accusations of carrying out mass killings in various regions.
The bandit militias, operating from forest bases, have been notorious for raiding villages, looting, and kidnapping residents for ransom.
The root causes of the violence lie in the competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers, exacerbated by rapid population growth and climate pressures, leading to heightened social tensions and increased violence.
The Nigerian army has initiated “clearance operations” in search of suspects, supported by other security agencies.
However, arrests in such attacks are infrequent. President Bola Tinubu, elected earlier this year, has instructed security agencies to apprehend the culprits, emphasizing the need to scour every stretch of the affected zone.
Additionally, relief resources are being mobilized for survivors, along with prompt medical treatment for the wounded, as the nation grapples with the aftermath of this tragic Christmas massacre.