Over 100 people killed and 300 injured in Nigeria amid rising ethnic and religious tensions
Guwahati: In an act of mass killing, armed groups targeted towns across central Nigeria, killing over 100 people, and injuring 300 marking another tragic episode in a region that is plagued by persistent religious and ethnic tensions, media reports stated.
The attacks have happened in the central Nigerian state of Plateau.
Northwest and central Nigeria have been long terrorised by bandit militias operating from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom.
Local officials stated on Monday that the toll from the weekend attacks by armed groups often referred to as “bandits,” has surged to 113, a stark increase from the government’s initial count of 16.
The count of the injured is estimated to be around 300.
Plateau is one of several ethnically and religiously diverse hinterland states known as Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where inter-communal conflict has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu earlier this month ordered an investigation into a military drone strike that claimed the lives of 85 civilians gathered for a religious celebration.
