Tragedy struck Zurak Kompani and Bandalala communities in Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State, as bandits unleashed a deadly onslaught, claiming the lives of over 40 individuals.
According to witnesses from Wase, the attacks unfolded on Monday night, catching residents off guard as they were winding down from their daily routines. Simultaneously, the assailants set ablaze homes, sparking chaos that resulted in fatalities and numerous injuries.
Kompani Zurak bore the brunt of the violence, with over thirty casualties reported, while Bandalala mourned the loss of ten lives, alongside several individuals still unaccounted for. Displaced and traumatized, survivors sought sanctuary in neighboring villages.
Audu Ummah, a resident of Wase town, revealed that the wounded are receiving medical attention in various health facilities, while others have sought refuge in Wase and surrounding areas.
As of this report, security agencies and the state government have yet to issue statements regarding the attacks, exacerbating concerns amid a surge in communal clashes in the North-Central region.
Plateau State, located at the crossroads of Nigeria’s religious and cultural divides, remains a hotspot for intercommunal strife. Recent months have witnessed a disturbing uptick in violence, with December’s raids claiming numerous lives and displacing thousands.
The underlying tensions in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions, rooted in competition for land between nomadic herders and settled farmers, continue to escalate. This conflict, compounded by demographic shifts, environmental challenges, and economic pressures, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive intervention to avert further bloodshed.
Echoing these concerns, the UN’s World Food Programme sounded the alarm, warning that escalating conflict, coupled with inflation and climate-related disruptions, could exacerbate food insecurity across the country.
