JOS: Local officials said on Thursday that over 3,000 people have been displaced in central Nigeria after 85 people were killed in clashes between farmers and herders. According to AFP, the violence occurred on Monday, with an early death toll of 30, in many villages of Plateau State, an area which, has struggled with religious and ethnic tensions for years.
Thousands Displaced in Nigeria
The conflict is just one of the many security challenges and issues facing President-elect Bola Tinubu. “85 dead bodies were recovered,” the head of the local government Daput Minister Daniel told the media. Joseph Gwankat, a community leader in the region also confirmed the death toll in the area.
The National Emergency Management Agency said thousands of people were also displaced, and hundreds of homes were destroyed because of the violence. A local official told the foreign media that as many as 3,683 people displaced were displaced due to the wave of violence in the region. He maintained that 720 homes were partially or completely destroyed in the area. The number of people wounded was still unclear, he said.
A community leader said that 57 wounded were being treated in a local hospital, while Nyelong from NEMA added 216 people had been wounded in the violence.
Police officials said that 5 people were arrested in connection with the recent violence and clashes. A police spokesperson said that additional security personnel have been deployed in the area to control the law and order in the region.
A legislator said that there are still tensions in the region. He added the violence was being committed by “hundreds” of people, who are not from the local communities.
Similarly, the State Emergency Management Agency officials also described the situation as terrible in the region. The Nigerian chapter of the rights group Amnesty International also strongly condemned the violence.
