Nigerian herder-farmer death toll rises

More than a 100 people in central Nigeria have died in the past several days. Thousands of people have been displaced due to the intercommunal violence that has seen hundreds of homes destroyed. The clashes between farmers and herders in Plateau State are said to be the worst in years that the region has seen.

The clashes broke out Monday in Plateau State that overlaps the divide between Nigeria’s Muslim and Christian communities in the northern and southern regions. These regions have seen violence over religion for years. Several nearby villages in the Mangu district of Plateau state were still caught up in the violence on Thursday. Residents were seen fleeing.

Over thirty people lost their lives when the clash first broke out. It was unclear as to what lead to the violence, but tit for tat killings is not new in the area. Killings between farmers and herders are often known to spiral out of control, and many end up raiding nearby villages.

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THE DEATH TOLL RISES

The death toll from attacks by gunmen in the farming villages rose to 100, this comes after it was earlier reported that 85 people lost their lives at the beginning of the week. A total number of 57 people were injured in the attacks and were transported to a nearby hospital. Thousands of people are missing, the community is deserted, and schools closed. The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) visited the area on Wednesday. Thousands of displaced women and children need food and shelter.

The Nigerian Amnesty tweeted that “these deplorable attacks took place at a time when the affected farming communities in Mangu were cultivating their farms and demonstrate complete disregard for human life”. Five people have been arrested in connection with the violence. They continued “The Nigerian authorities must do more to protect the people and bring the actual perpetrators of these attacks to justice.”

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50 PEOPLE KILLED IN CENTRAL NIGERIA

In April, a total of 50 people were killed when unknown gunmen attacked a village in Benue State. Benue has been hit the hardest by clashes of farmers and herders. Herders were accused of destroying farmlands with their cattle grazing. Benue State is notoriously known for tit for tat clashes. The attack happened in Umogidi community in Benue State. The motive for the attack was not clear.

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