At least 113 people were killed in attacks by armed groups between Saturday night and Monday in several villages in Plateau State, in central Nigeria, local authorities announced this Monday.
“Hostilities broke out on Saturday and continued on Monday morning,” Kassah, president of the government council of Bokkos, a district in the region that has been affected by religious and ethnic tensions, told AFP Monday.
“At least 113 bodies were found,” he said, adding that “more than 300 people” were injured and transferred to hospitals in Bokkos, Jos and Barkin Ladi.
The attack took place in the village of Mushu, in Plateau State, a region that has been plagued by religious and ethnic tensions for several years.
“We were sleeping at night when, suddenly, very loud gunshots were heard. We were scared because we were not expecting any attack”, explained Markus Amorudu, a resident of the village.
State governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric, brutal and unjustified”. After the attack, police and military personnel were deployed to monitor the area and prevent public disorder.
“The government will take proactive measures to stop the ongoing attacks against innocent citizens,” said Gyang Bere, the governor’s spokesman.
In Nigeria, inhabitants of the northwest and central regions of the country live in terror of attacks by jihadist groups and criminal groups known as “bandits”, who loot villages and kill or kidnap inhabitants.