At least 20 people have been killed in an attack by an armed group in north-central Nigeria, according to local police authorities, in the latest outbreak of violence in a region already grappling with recurring insecurity.
The incident took place on Sunday in the Kawel community in the Bokkos area of Plateau State. Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo said officers responded quickly to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the attackers, forcing them to retreat. No arrests have been reported so far, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Authorities confirmed that the victims’ bodies were released to their families for burial after relatives declined autopsies. The attack adds to a growing pattern of violent incidents in Plateau State, where communal tensions, armed gangs, and bandit activity have repeatedly triggered deadly clashes.
Local government officials, including Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, have directed emergency response agencies to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to affected families and communities.
The broader region has been affected for years by multiple layers of insecurity. In northeastern Nigeria, an insurgency linked to extremist groups has killed thousands and displaced millions, while armed criminal gangs continue to operate across the northwest and north-central zones, often targeting rural communities and farming settlements.
This latest attack follows a similar deadly incident in March in the Gari Ya Waye community, also in Plateau State, where 20 people were killed, underscoring the persistence of violence in the region despite ongoing security operations.