Gunmen stormed the village of Marit in central Nigeria’s Plateau State late Monday, killing six people and injuring several others.
The attack, confirmed by local officials on Tuesday, occurred in the Barkin Ladi district—an area plagued by recurring inter-communal violence.
“We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. We ran into the bush,” said villager David Davou, who later found bodies at dawn.
No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not identified the perpetrators behind the latest violence.
Plateau State, straddling Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north and Christian-dominated south, has long been a flashpoint for religious and ethnic clashes.
April alone saw more than 100 people killed in waves of unrest across the region, continuing a grim trend of bloodshed.
In December 2023, nearly 200 people were massacred in a single attack on a predominantly Christian village.
Officials say many of the wounded from Monday’s assault have been hospitalised, while investigations into the incident are underway.
The area’s violence is often driven by conflict between Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farming communities, fuelled by competition over land and resources.
Local authorities, including Mercy Yop Chuwang, spokesperson for the Barkin Ladi council, urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security forces.
As villagers mourn their dead, fears linger over who might strike next and when peace might finally return to Plateau’s troubled soil.
