At least 40 people have been killed and dozens more injured after gunmen stormed the Zike community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, central Nigeria, in the early hours of Monday, April 14. The attack, which lasted nearly two hours, left homes destroyed and survivors in mourning, marking the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued the region in recent weeks348.
Local residents and officials report that the assailants, believed to be armed herders, targeted the predominantly Christian farming community, firing indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze. Amnesty International confirmed that the victims included children and the elderly, many of whom were unable to escape the onslaught38. Mass burials have already taken place, and the death toll may rise as search efforts continue in the area34.
The attack comes just two weeks after similar violence in other parts of Plateau State, where at least 52 people were killed and nearly 2,000 displaced in a series of assaults on villages in the Bokkos district2710. The region, part of Nigeria’s ethnically and religiously diverse Middle Belt, has long been a flashpoint for clashes between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and mainly Christian farming communities. Disputes over land use, exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and diminishing grazing land, have fueled a cycle of violence that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years5710.
Despite prior warnings from local youth organizations about potential threats, security forces reportedly arrived only after the attack had ended4. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the killings, describing them as “genocidal” and part of a deliberate campaign to displace indigenous communities for control of fertile land and mineral resources4. President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation and pledged that those responsible will face severe consequences8.
The persistent violence in Plateau State underscores broader security challenges facing Nigeria, where attacks by armed groups, bandits, and extremist organizations continue to endanger civilians and destabilize communities5. Local and international observers have called for urgent reforms, improved intelligence, and greater accountability to address the root causes of the conflict and protect vulnerable populations157.
