MADRID, 26 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least 113 people have been killed and around 300 injured in a series of attacks in several towns in the Nigerian state of Plateau, located in the center of the country, amid increased insecurity in this area of ??the African country.
The attacks, which took place on Saturday night while residents of the communities were sleeping, “were well coordinated, no less than 20 different communities were attacked by the bandits,” explained Oya James, spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, the group in charge. to ensure the security of the state.
James, who on Sunday put the death toll at 16, explained to the Nigerian newspaper ‘Daily Trust’ that the authorities have recovered the bodies of 113 people. As for the injured, he has indicated that they have been transferred to several hospitals.
“The security personnel have been doing the best they could, but the difficult terrain to reach those communities has meant that the agents did not arrive in time to prevent these attacks,” said the group’s spokesperson.
For his part, the governor of Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang, condemned the attack and assured that the authorities are working to find those responsible for it, which he described as “barbaric, brutal and unnecessary.”
Nigeria has seen a spike in inter-community tensions in recent years due to disputes over territories and resources, especially due to the impact of drought. Most of these clashes have been carried out by Fulani herders, mainly Muslims, and farmers settled in the center of the country, mainly Christians.
The Fulani denounce their marginalization in Nigeria and other countries in the region, while other communities accuse them of being members of jihadist groups that operate in the area because these – including affiliates of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State – have taken advantage of the discontent of the Peul to swell their ranks. This has also led to complaints about abuses by security forces against this community.
