Assailants stormed a village in Plateau State before security forces drove them back, police say
At least 20 people have been killed in an armed attack in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, local police reported on Tuesday.
The assault took place before dawn on Sunday in Kawel village, located in the Mushere district of Bokkos Local Government Area. Police said a group of armed men stormed the community at around 4:40 AM, opening an attack that left multiple people dead.
Security forces, including officers from the Plateau State Police Command and the Violent Crime Response Unit, were dispatched to the area shortly after receiving reports of the violence. The authorities said the attackers exchanged fire with security personnel before retreating.
Eighteen victims were found dead at the scene and three others were taken to the hospital with injuries. “Subsequently, two of the injured victims were confirmed dead by a medical doctor, bringing the total number of casualties to twenty,” police said.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. No group has claimed responsibility.
In response, Plateau State Police Commissioner Bassey Ewah ordered additional tactical units and mobile police personnel to be deployed to the affected area.
The West African state has long struggled with criminal gangs and extremist groups, which frequently hold people for ransom. This gained global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram militants kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.
On Saturday, Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters announced that retired Major General Rabe Abubakar died in captivity after being abducted by unidentified gunmen.
Last month, suspected Boko Haram militants abducted more than 40 pupils during a raid on a school in Borno State, according to local officials and civil society groups. The attackers reportedly stormed classrooms while lessons were underway, forcing dozens of other students to flee into nearby bushland.
In April, the US State Department advised against traveling to the northern and central states – including Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger and Taraba – due to terrorism and armed violence.
