Black Christmas: Plateau Attack Claims 115+ Lives
Over 115 killed in Plateau State attacks, governor says
More than 115 people have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks by armed gangs in Plateau State, Nigeria, on Christmas Eve, the state governor said on Tuesday.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said the attacks were unprovoked and called on security agencies to find the perpetrators and their sponsors.
He said the attackers targeted more than 15 communities in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas, setting houses on fire, looting farm produce, and slaughtering residents.
“Just when we had finished preparations for Christmas, unprovoked attacks were unleashed on our communities,” he said.
He said he personally attended the burial of 15 victims in Mangu local government area, and that more than 100 bodies had been recovered in Bokkos as of Tuesday morning.
He described the attacks as “unprecedented and monumental”, and said they were not related to land disputes between indigenous people and nomadic herders.
He said the people of Plateau State remained resilient despite the attacks, but warned that they might not be able to restrain themselves from defending their lives and property if the security situation did not improve.
He also criticized the response time of the security forces, especially the army, and urged them to do more to protect the citizens.
The attacks are the latest in a series of violent incidents in Nigeria’s central region, where armed groups have been terrorizing rural communities for years.
According to Reuters, more than 160 people have been killed and over 300 injured in Plateau State and neighboring Kaduna State since Saturday.