JOS, Nigeria (FN), At least six people were killed and eight others injured in fresh attacks in Plateau State, authorities said Sunday, underscoring the persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
Local officials reported that armed assailants stormed communities in Bokkos Local Government Area late Saturday, opening fire on residents and setting homes ablaze. Survivors said the attackers struck suddenly, leaving families displaced and many seeking refuge in nearby villages.
Security forces have since deployed to the area, but tensions remain high. Plateau State has long been a flashpoint for violence between farmers and herders, as well as communal clashes fueled by land disputes and ethnic rivalries.
The latest incident follows a series of deadly attacks in Plateau earlier this year, including assaults in Mangu and Barkin Ladi that left dozens dead. Human rights groups have repeatedly called for stronger protection of rural communities, warning that cycles of reprisal killings threaten to destabilize the region further.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence and urged security agencies to intensify patrols. “We cannot continue to lose innocent lives to senseless attacks,” he said in a statement.
Nigeria has struggled with widespread insecurity, ranging from insurgency in the northeast to banditry in the northwest and communal clashes in the Middle Belt. Analysts say the Plateau crisis highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in policing, conflict resolution, and rural development.
