A suspected marauding militia has killed several villagers in the Jwak Maitumbi community of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State.
According to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the raid also resulted in the destruction of vast farmlands and approximately 45 residential homes.
Makama reported that security forces were deployed to the affected area following an alert received at about 7:45 a.m. on Sunday.
A military security source informed Zagazola Makama that responding troops discovered nearly 45 houses torched and confirmed that the assailants had looted local property before fleeing.
“In the early hours of the attack, several residents were gunned down by the attackers before slaughtering them,” Makama said.
“The attack immediately triggered mass displacement with women, children and the elderly running for safety.
“The assailants also reportedly entered farms belonging to Fulani residents and used cutlasses to destroy a large quantity of crops.
“Following the incident, troops summoned the Galadima and youth leader of Jwak Maitumbi community, directing the community leadership to assist security agencies in identifying and producing those responsible for the attack.
“The development is particularly sensitive because the conflict in parts of Plateau has frequently been characterised by tit-for-tat attacks, in which an attack on one community is followed by retaliation against another community, often resulting in further deaths, destruction of property and displacement.”
According to Makama, the destruction of homes and crops could trigger retaliation if affected residents or their allies feel that the perpetrators are neither identified nor brought to justice.
The report noted that a failure to establish accountability could foster a sense of impunity, prompting aggrieved groups to take the law into their own hands.
Backstory…
The latest attack adds to a worrying resurgence of violence across Plateau State, where rural communities have faced repeated assaults despite renewed security deployments and government assurances.
In June, at least 20 people were killed in an attack on a community in Bokkos, according to police, in another incident that highlighted the persistent insecurity in the state.
Reports from Amnesty Nigeria indicates that Plateau has endured years of recurring communal and armed attacks, particularly in areas such as Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Riyom. Amnesty International has previously documented the scale of the crisis, reporting that at least 1,336 people were killed in Plateau between December 2023 and February 2024, while nearly 30,000 people were displaced.
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