At least there are 17 people dead when gunmen attacked this thursday A community in Plateau State in central Nigeria. The attack took place at night, when most residents were asleep, Nigerian newspaper The Daily Trust has learned.
Captain Ola James, spokesman for ‘Operation Safe Harbor’, a security task force that keeps the peace in the state, confirmed the incident and pointed out that troops were deployed to the area. “There was an early warning sign that some bandits might be launching attacks in the area, which prompted the operation to set up checkpoints in the area, but bandits took another route and attacked the community‘, he explained.
Nigeria has witnessed an increase in inter-communal tensions in recent years due to disagreements over regions and resources, especially in the face of drought. Most of these conflicts were fought by Fulani herdsmen, mostly Muslims, and by farmers settled in the center of the country, mainly Christians.
While Fulani condemned their marginalization in Nigeria and other countries in the region, other communities accuse them of being members of jihadist groups Those operating in the region, including al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups, took advantage of Peul’s discontent to expand their ranks. Growing insecurity has also led to complaints about abuses by security forces against this community.