At least 51 people have been killed in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Witnesses claim the victims were killed in their sleep.
Bassa is about 25km from Jos the capital of the state. According to Al Jazeera, the dead were buried in mass graves.
President Bola Tinubu, while cooling his heels in France, released a statement saying: “I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts.” He also called for a speedy resolution of the conflict, without lifting a finger to do anything about a problem that has plagued the country for decades.
Ndubuisi Christian Ani, from the Institute of Security Studies, told Al Jazeera that large numbers of locals have been displaced from their homes in Nigeria’s “Middle Belt”, also known as the country’s bread basket.
Amnesty International says that between December 2023 and February 2024, 1,336 people were killed in Plateau state alone — a clear indication that Tinubu’s administration has little to offer in terms attempting to curb the violence, let alone addressing its root causes.
Insecurity from multiple sources ranging from Fulani herdsmen to jihadists Boko Haram to “bandits” to kidnapping for ransom has plagued Nigeria since civilian rule returned in 1999. No regime has yet come close to fulfilling their constitutional obligations to keep Nigerians safe.
