At least thirty people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a university community in Nigeria’s central Plateau State on Sunday night, according to local officials and residents who spoke on Monday.
According to locals, the assailants broke into the Gari Ya Waye neighbourhood in the Angwan Rukuba district and started shooting at people at random.
Tensions between predominantly Christian farmers and Fulani herders, who are primarily Muslim, are frequently cited as the cause of the violence in the area. However, experts and political figures contend that elements like climate change and the growth of farmland are escalating land rivalry and causing disputes that transcend religious and ethnic boundaries.
In a phone conversation, Markus Audu Kando, a resident and co-chair of a Plateau young interfaith group, stated: “As I speak with you, the figure is now 30…” I am unable to verify the number of injured individuals in the hospital.
The Plateau State administration responded by declaring that the attackers are still unidentified, enforcing a 48-hour curfew in the impacted district, and delaying exams that were supposed to start on Monday at the University of Jos.
“People were here in the evening and unfortunately, wicked terrorists came and attacked our people. We have counted scores of people who are now dead and then so many others are also in the hospital receiving treatment,” said Paul Mancha, a resident and chairman of the Plateau youth council.
In the nation’s Middle Belt, which has long been plagued by conflicts between farming and herding communities, the attack is the most recent in a series of violent episodes.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah