Gunmen kill at least 24 in central Nigeria
Land grabs over mineral resources, tensions between locals and outsiders, and an influx of hardline Muslim and Christian preachers have deepened divisions in recent decades.
In central Nigeria's Plateau state, gunmen wielding guns and machetes killed at least 24 people, according to survivors and local officials. The attack occurred in Bin-Per village, a community where Muslim Fulani nomadic herders and Christian settled farmers have long been embroiled in conflict over land and resources. Mathew Joseph, a resident of Bin-Per village, recounted hearing screams from his neighbors and witnessing armed men approaching their home before they managed to escape.
He reported that 24 people were killed, a figure corroborated by Muftwan Yamput, a local resident. The Red Cross confirmed the incident, while police did not provide further information. The ongoing violence in the Middle Belt region, where land and resources are scarce due to climate change and human expansion, has heightened tensions between herders and farmers.
Recent incidents, such as the killing of herders and subsequent reprisal attacks, have fueled a cycle of violence that has been attributed to persecution of Christians by some, though rejected by the Nigerian government and independent researchers.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
