Nigeria’s silent crisis: 47 killed in brutal plateau state village attacks

At least 47 people have been confirmed dead and many more injured following a brutal overnight assault on two communities in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, Nigeria.

The attacks, which occurred on night of April 13 in Zike and Kimakpa villages within the Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, have further deepened the humanitarian crisis in the state, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The incident comes just weeks after similar deadly assaults in Bokkos LGA, where over 50 people lost their lives and entire communities were left in ruins. The recurring violence has triggered widespread national condemnation and prompted high-profile visits by key security officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and Deputy Inspector General of Police B.D. Kwazhi.

Despite these visits and a series of stakeholder meetings aimed at curbing the violence, coordinated killings have continued unabated, now shifting to Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa LGA. Reports indicate that the latest attacks were meticulously planned and executed, leaving the affected communities in a state of profound grief and fear.

“The scale of this attack suggests a well-planned and coordinated assault on the communities,” said Danjuma Dickson Auta, Secretary-General of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), while confirming the death toll.

“An attack on Zike and Kimakpa communities in Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa LGA resulted in 47 confirmed deaths, with many injured,” he added.

Survivors have recounted horrifying scenes, describing the assaults as sudden and merciless. The devastation has left residents displaced and fearful of further violence.

The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, and retired Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum, a former military administrator of the state, have previously alleged that the attacks were part of a broader agenda aimed at displacing indigenous populations and seizing their ancestral lands. They argued that the repeated and targeted nature of the violence suggests motives beyond mere communal conflict.

As of the time of reporting, neither the Plateau State Police Command nor Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), the military task force responsible for maintaining peace in the region, had issued any official statement regarding the latest massacre.

The escalating violence in Plateau State has once again raised urgent questions about the effectiveness of current security strategies and the political will to address the root causes of the conflict.

By Vafa Guliyeva