Armed men on motorcycles launched a deadly raid on villages in northcentral Nigeria on Monday night, leaving at least a dozen villagers confirmed dead, according to authorities. Local sources, however, reported at least 40 casualties.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which bears resemblance to the ongoing violence in the region fueled by competition for land and water between nomadic herders and settled farmers. These conflicts have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
Officials in Plateau state, where the attack occurred, confirmed 12 fatalities in Wase district’s Zurak community. Eyewitness accounts, however, placed the death toll at a much higher 40. Discrepancies between official figures and witness reports are not uncommon in such incidents.
“Security forces are combing the area to determine if there are additional casualties or individuals with gunshot wounds,” said Musa Ashoms, Plateau’s information commissioner, following reports of villagers fleeing into nearby bushes.
The attack comes on the heels of a security operation targeting hideouts used by the assailants, according to Idris Wase, a federal legislator representing Wase district. The operation reportedly aimed to “wipe out” the gunmen from the area.
