Nigeria: Armed bandits kill dozens in Plateau State

By Vatican News staff writer

Several dozens of people have been killed in Nigeria’s Plateau state in the latest spate of attacks by armed gangs in the north of Africa’s most populous nation.

Residents disclosed that over 50 dead bodies have been recovered in Kanam Local Government Area following a series of raids on four remote villages on Sunday.

News reports say that dozens of gunmen on motorbikes attacked Kukawa, Gyanbahu, Dungur and Keram villages in the afternoon of 10 April. The attackers also stole livestock and burnt down over 100 houses.

Shock and sorrow

Commenting on the attack, a State Police Command spokesperson said that the police is aware of the attack and officers had been drafted to the area.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the deadly raids, community leaders in the area have called on the government to fulfill its primary responsibility of protecting the lives of citizens.

Mass burials are being organized amid tears and shock in the rural communities for the victims of Sunday's attacks, the worst in the area in many months.

Residents also say that those who sustained injuries have been referred to different hospitals for treatment, including Dangi General Hospital in Kanam Local Government Area.

Insecurity in northern Nigeria

In recent years, Nigeria, especially the northern region, has been faced with security challenges fuelled by the activities of extremist religious groups, including Boko Haram. The security challenges have been further complicated by armed bandits who have been responsible for raids on villages, kidnappings for ransom and killings of civilians.

Attacks of this sort are not very common in Plateau, located in central Nigeria, however, the state borders Kaduna state, which has seen an uptick in activities of armed bandits. Just last month, bandits blew up a section of train tracks between the capital, Abuja, and the northern city of Kaduna, killing eight people and kidnapping dozens of others.

In another attack in early April, gunmen killed 15 soldiers and wounded more than a dozen others in an army base in Kaduna.

The spate of attacks has continued in the country despite the efforts of security personnel and authorities who are struggling to ensure security, especially in unprotected rural communities.