In the Plateau State in northern Nigeria, armed individuals carried out attacks in the early hours of Monday, resulting in at least 51 deaths. This assault occurred only two weeks after conflicts in another region of the state led to the deaths of dozens.

Last week, the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced that at least 52 individuals were killed in attacks lasting several days in the Plateau State, with around 2,000 people being displaced. The state has been known for violent incidents between farmers and herders for a long time. On Monday, it was reported that 51 bodies were found in the Zikke and Kimakpa villages in the Bassa region of Plateau. Many individuals were also reported to be injured in the attacks. The motive behind the attacks is still unclear. A resident of the area, Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, claimed that the attackers were herders and stated, “There is currently a mass burial taking place. There is great anger among the people.” The police authorities have not made any statements regarding the incident yet. Albert Garba Samuel, a spokesperson for the local youth organization Jere Nation Youths Development Association, expressed his outrage by saying, “No community should experience such trauma, bloodshed, and destruction.”

Amnesty International Nigeria reported that the attackers burned and looted homes in the villages. In a statement, the organization emphasized the need to investigate the inexcusable security loopholes that led to this dreadful attack following the killing of 52 individuals two weeks prior. MIDDLE BELT AT RISK

The escalating inter-communal violence in Nigeria’s inner regions, mainly known as the Middle Belt, has become one of the country’s most serious security threats in recent years.

Primarily occurring between Muslim herders and Christian farmers, these conflicts are not only limited to ethnic and religious tensions but are also exacerbated by environmental and economic factors such as climate change, agricultural expansion, and diminishing natural resources.