Gunmen Kill 6 in Attacks on Nigerian Christian Communities as Security Forces Make No Arrests
Assaults in Plateau state left a 15-year-old boy and a Nigerian soldier dead; residents report fear of attending church.
On Sunday night, November 8, at least six people, including a 15-year-old boy and a Nigerian soldier, were killed during separate attacks on predominantly Christian farming communities in Plateau state, central Nigeria. Neither the local police nor the Nigerian Armed Forces have made any arrests in connection with the killings.
The first attack took place around 9 p.m. in Bel village, located within the Sho community of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. Armed men raided the settlement and opened fire on residents. Four people died at the scene, including three civilians and a military officer stationed in the area. Multiple residents also sustained gunshot wounds during the assault.
Bulus Bot, a resident of Bel, told International Christian Concern (ICC) that the attackers are Islamic Fulani herders attempting to take over ancestral lands belonging to the Christian population. Continuous gunfire forced dozens of families to flee their homes in the dark to seek shelter in neighboring areas.
Victims Identified as Military Response Faces Criticism
Rwang Tengwong, publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), confirmed the fatalities and identified the three civilians killed in Bel as . The identity of the deceased soldier has not been publicly released by military authorities.