At Least 24 Killed in Gunmen Attack on Plateau Community in Nigeria

PLATEAU, Aug 19: At least 24 people were killed after gunmen attacked the Bin-Per community in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau State, residents and local sources said Tuesday, in the latest deadly violence to hit the region.

The attackers stormed the community in Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area around midnight on Monday and continued their assault into the early hours of Tuesday, moving from house to house and attacking residents, survivors said.

Bulus Dabit, president of the Mangu Development Association, said the attackers entered the community while residents were asleep.

“We were sleeping when we heard people in our neighborhood screaming,” resident Mathew Joseph told Anadolu. He said he saw armed men approaching his home before managing to escape.

Matthew Sylvester Kwarpo, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Mangu South Constituency, said 38 houses were burned during the attack. Farmlands, stored grains and other valuables were also destroyed.

Kwarpo called on security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance and ensure the rapid deployment of personnel to vulnerable communities. He also urged authorities to provide emergency assistance, including food, shelter and medical care, to those affected.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attack and directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in Bin-Per and other vulnerable communities across Mangu.

The governor appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid retaliatory violence, while urging them to provide security agencies with information that could help identify and arrest those responsible.

Plateau Police Command spokesman Alfred Alabo confirmed the attack and said Police Commissioner Faniyan Ayodeji and his team had visited the area to assess the situation.

The latest attack adds to a long-running cycle of violence in Plateau State, where disputes involving farming communities and herders have repeatedly escalated into deadly communal clashes.

The state has witnessed a resurgence in deadly attacks this year. In June, at least 20 people were killed in an attack on the Kawel community in Bokkos Local Government Area, according to police. Security forces exchanged gunfire with the attackers before they retreated, with no arrests initially reported.