In Plateau state Nigeria, gunmen on Sunday reportedly killed more than 70 people and burned down houses while hundreds of villagers fled their homes.
The Plateau State Police public relations officer, Gabriel Ubah, who confirmed the attack, told newsmen that the police had to send reinforcements to the affected villages which included Kukawa, Giyanbahu, Dangur, and Keren.
“We’re doing our best. Security operatives will be deployed to the areas and we’ve also renewed our strategies which will not be made known to the public. It’s an in-house security strategy that has been put in place,” he said.
Terrorist activities have taken an upward trend in Nigeria since the deadly Boko Haram sect based in North-Eastern Nigeria, which is also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon was founded in 2002. Attacks by armed gangs are also becoming increasingly common in central Nigeria.
The police spokesperson also revealed that the Force is yet to determine the number of casualties from the attacks. Local residents say more bodies were discovered Monday.
Local residents say the victims included farmers who were tilling their fields in preparation for planting. They say the attackers abducted dozens of people, including women and children.
The attacks occurred barely one week after 17 people were killed elsewhere in Plateau during a festival held to pray for peace and a bountiful harvest. There have also been recent attacks in Kaduna State, Northwest, Nigeria.
According to Statista, “between 2011 and 2021, Boko Haram was responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Nigeria is the country most affected by the terrorist group’s attacks. States in the North-East register the highest number of deaths. Borno is by far the most threatened state, Boko Haram has caused over 34 thousand deaths in this area…”