Deadly Attacks Leave More Than 100 Dead in Central Nigeria, Local Officials Report
Death toll in weekend attacks in central Nigeria's Plateau state rises to 113, highlighting the ongoing clashes between herders and farmers in the region
Over the weekend, the death toll from attacks in the central Nigerian state of Plateau has climbed to 113, according to a local official. This is the latest in a series of clashes between herders and farmers in the region, marking the deadliest outbreak of violence since May when over 100 people were killed in similar attacks.
The Nigerian army, as reported by AFP news agency on Sunday, stated that 16 people were killed in the recent attacks. Acting chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, Monday Kassah, claimed that the attacks on Saturday and Sunday resulted in the deaths of 113 people.
"The attacks were highly coordinated, targeting at least 20 different communities," he said. "A total of 113 casualties have been recovered from these communities, with over 300 individuals sustaining injuries."
Kassah refrained from identifying the perpetrators of the attacks, but mentioned that the injured had been transported to the hospital.
Attempts to reach a Plateau police spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful. Plateau is part of the ethnically and religiously diverse region known as Nigeria's Middle Belt, where inter-communal conflict has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives in recent years.
The violence is often painted as ethno-religious conflict between Muslim herders and mainly Christian farmers. But climate change and expanding agriculture are also major factors.
