Deadly Attack on Nigerian Villages Leaves Hundreds Dead
In a devastating spree of violence that spanned several days, around 200 people were killed in central Nigeria, shaking the nation during the Christmas season.
Casey Parker
- 2023-12-28
- Updated 04:31 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - The brutal attacks started on Saturday and continued unabated until Tuesday morning. Gunmen, alleged to be from the Fulani tribe, used firearms and machetes in a ruthless assault on multiple villages in Plateau State. The violence rendered numerous Christian farming communities desolate, as most of their houses have been burned down. The governor of Plateau State has condemned the attacks as "senseless and unprovoked." As rescue efforts continue, the death toll is feared to increase with many villagers still unaccounted for. The injured count in the hundreds and thousands have been forced to abandon their homes.
Delayed Response and Accountability
The affected communities have criticized the security forces for a slow response, reporting that it took over 12 hours for them to act on calls for help. Despite this tragedy, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the massacre. The residents, however, accuse Fulani herders, a group previously connected to numerous deadly incidents across northwestern and central Nigeria. These conflicts often arise over natural resources and are intensified by climate change and population growth, which exacerbate religious and ethnic tension. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who was elected in the current year, has directed security agencies to pursue and apprehend the perpetrators.
Ongoing Conflict and Measures for Recovery
The Nigerian army has initiated "clearance operations" in the region with the support of other security agencies to find those responsible, though history shows arrests following such attacks are rare. President Tinubu has also commanded that relief and medical aid be rapidly provided to the survivors and the wounded. Amnesty International’s Nigeria director criticized the lack of effective preventive action and the failure to ensure justice for victims in conflict-hit areas. This massacre is the deadliest event since clashes between herders and farmers led to over 200 deaths in 2018. Alongside these perennial herder-farmer conflicts, Nigeria continues to battle an insurgency led by terrorist groups in the northeast which has caused widespread death and displacement since 2009.
As the nation confronts the aftermath of the harrowing violence, international observers and human rights organizations urge for a sustained effort in protecting the vulnerable and in bringing an end to the cycle of violence that has long troubled Nigeria.
