Gunmen killed at least 24 people in an overnight attack on the Bin-Per community in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau State, residents and local officials said, in the latest deadly assault to rock the restive Middle Belt region. The attackers descended on the village late on Monday night, going from house to house and killing residents with machetes and firearms. Women and children accounted for most of the victims, according to survivor accounts reported by Anadolu Agency and Reuters.
Escalating Cycle of Violence
The attack marked one of the deadliest single incidents in Plateau State this year and has triggered widespread fears of violent reprisals. Local councillor Lemun Le’an Iliya confirmed that 23 people were killed at the scene and a 24th victim later died in hospital. An additional victim brought the total to at least 25, according to resident Amos John, who told Reuters the attackers went door to door targeting sleeping families.
Plateau State, situated in Nigeria’s ethnically and religiously diverse Middle Belt, has been gripped by a years-long cycle of violence between predominantly Christian farming communities and nomadic herders. The attacks have persisted despite repeated military deployments and government pledges to restore order. The region’s conflict has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years, with each wave of violence prompting fears of retaliatory strikes.
Security Forces Under Pressure
The Nigerian security apparatus has struggled to contain the violence. In early August, a separate attack in Plateau killed at least 51 people over several days, prompting President Bola Tinubu to order a military offensive in the region. That assault displaced nearly 2,000 people and drew international condemnation from Amnesty International, which documented how gunmen razed and looted homes.
The persistent violence has fueled criticism that the federal government’s approach is inadequate. Community leaders and civil society groups have repeatedly called for more decisive action, including addressing the root causes of land-use disputes between farming and pastoralist communities.
“We have reached a point where we can no longer accept these attacks as routine,” a Plateau community leader told local media, echoing demands for a comprehensive security overhaul.
As of Tuesday, security forces had been deployed to the Bin-Per area to prevent further escalation and potential reprisal attacks, but residents remain on edge as the death toll continues to be confirmed.
Sources: Reuters; Anadolu Agency; Amnesty International; Punch Nigeria
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