LAGOS, Nigeria
At least 14 people, including three pregnant women, were killed in a midnight attack by gunmen on the Ngbra Zongo community in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area in Nigeria’s Plateau State, residents told Anadolu Friday.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community around midnight while residents were asleep, opening fire indiscriminately and forcing many people to flee their homes.
Plateau State has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence linked to farmer-herder conflicts, communal tensions, and reprisal attacks that have left hundreds dead in recent years.
Speaking about the incident, resident Raphael Ebi, who escaped through nearby bushes, told Anadolu that the assailants entered the community around 12 am Friday and began shooting sporadically.
“They moved from one house to another attacking innocent people,” he said.
Another resident, Chigoji Ameh, said three pregnant women were among those killed in the assault, while several others sustained injuries.
Secretary General of the Community Development Association Danjuma Auta condemned the attack, describing it as “tragic and unacceptable.”
“We are deeply saddened by this continuous bloodshed in our communities,” Auta said. “Security agencies must intensify efforts to protect rural communities and ensure that those behind these attacks are arrested and brought to justice.”
Auta also lamented the persistent insecurity affecting Bassa Local Government Area and other parts of Plateau State, warning that repeated attacks are worsening humanitarian and security conditions in affected communities.
Residents said many families have been displaced following the incident, with survivors fleeing to nearby communities for safety.
While authorities had yet to officially comment on the attack as of Friday afternoon, security sources told Anadolu that police had been deployed to the affected area.
Plateau State Police Command spokesman SP Alabo Alfred told Anadolu that the situation has “been put under control. Our officers are working with residents of the affected community.”
The latest violence has heightened concerns over recurring attacks in Plateau State, a region that has witnessed years of deadly communal clashes and armed violence.
