Nigerian officials have confirmed that at least 25 people were killed when armed men stormed the village of Bin-Per in the Mangu local government area of Plateau state on Monday night. The attackers reportedly went from house to house, killing residents with machetes, with women and children accounting for most of the victims.
A resident, Muftwan Yamput, told France's AFP news agency that he and his family "survived by a whisker," but his neighbors were not so fortunate: "Two people were killed in their house." The attack came after the killing of two herders last week, which was followed by a suspected reprisal on the nearby village of Maitimbe, where multiple homes were torched.
The Mwaghavul Youth Movement, a local advocacy group, has accused authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities. "The recurring destruction of communities, killing of innocent citizens, burning of homes and destruction of farmlands cannot continue to be treated as ordinary incidents," the group's spokesperson said on Sunday, calling for a review of security in the area.
Matthew Kwarpo, a representative in the Plateau state assembly, urged authorities to "deploy proactive measures in preventing or mitigating unnecessary attacks before they occur," especially in Mangu. He stressed that the incident "underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to address the underlying grievances and prevent further escalation of violence."
The latest bloodshed is part of a years-long cycle of violence between nomadic Muslim Fulani herders and mainly Christian farmers over access to increasingly scarce land and water resources in Nigeria's Middle Belt region. Land grabbing for mineral wealth, political and economic tensions, and the influence of hardline religious preachers have all fueled the conflict.
In May 2025, Amnesty International estimated that at least 2,630 people had been killed in Plateau state alone in the two years since President Bola Tinubu took office on a promise to enhance security. The rights group said authorities had instead failed "to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country." The international community has repeatedly called for action, but the violence continues unabated.
Source: www.dw.com