Gunmen kill approximately 40 people in north-central Nigeria: Report
Gunmen on motorbikes killed approximately 40 people in a raid on a mining community in north-central Nigeria, the local government reported on Tuesday. The attack occurred late Monday in the Wase district of Plateau state, a region notorious for resource disputes and intercommunal violence.
According to Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, Plateau state commissioner for information, armed men invaded the Zurak community, opening fire on residents and setting homes ablaze. “As we speak, about 40 people have been confirmed dead. Zurak is a popular mining community,” Ashoms told AFP by telephone. Local youth leader Shafi’i Sambo also confirmed that at least 42 people had been killed in the raid.
Wase is known for its zinc and lead deposits, while Plateau state is renowned for its tin mining industry. Situated between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, Plateau frequently experiences violence due to conflicts between nomadic herders and pastoral farmers. Climate change has exacerbated tensions over grazing land, water access, and other resources, including the state’s metal reserves.
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Additionally, parts of northwest and north-central Nigeria are plagued by heavily armed criminal gangs that raid villages and conduct mass kidnappings for ransom. In January, intercommunal clashes in Plateau’s Mangu town resulted in the destruction of churches and mosques, over 50 deaths, and thousands of displaced residents.
With inputs from agencies.
