About 30 killed in overnight attack in central Nigeria: Local media

Abuja: About 30 people were killed and others injured after a group of gunmen attacked a community in Nigeria’s central state of Plateau overnight, local media reported Tuesday.

The attack reportedly occurred when the heavily armed gunmen carried out a house-to-house raid in Binper, a community in Mangu Local Government Area, attacking residents between Monday night and Tuesday morning, according to Vanguard Newspaper, a national daily, which cited survivors.

“The gunmen opened the doors of people who were sleeping and killed them,” said Daniel Musa, an eyewitness, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Joyce Pama, another resident, told Xinhua by telephone that about 30 bodies had been recovered ahead of burial Tuesday morning.

Local media reported that some residents were missing following the attack, while community leaders were conducting a headcount.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Plateau State is located in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which links the country’s predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

The state has experienced recurring violence in recent years, often involving disputes over land and resources between different communities.

Last week, A total of 29 people, including 10 policemen and two civilians, were killed during a gunfight between security operatives and suspected bandits in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Kebbi.

In a statement, the Kebbi State police said 17 bandits were killed during the encounter after security operatives intercepted the gunmen, who were riding motorcycles, in the Rafin Makuku area on their way from neighbouring Zamfara State on Monday evening.

Some of the gunmen fled the scene with gunshot wounds, raising the possibility that the number of casualties among the bandits could increase, the statement said. Four motorcycles used by the gunmen were also disabled.

The police added that two security operatives were also injured during the gunfight, describing the deceased policemen as “brave personnel who paid the ultimate price while defending the people of the state.”

Nigeria has been confronted with a myriad of security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed militancy, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and farmer-herder conflicts.

IANS