at least 16 people killed in attack on village in central country

The governor of Plateau State condemned the attack, calling it “barbaric, brutal and unjustified”.

An attack in the heart of a region plagued for several years by religious and ethnic tensions. Armed men attacked the village of Mushu, in central Nigeria, on Sunday, December 24, killing at least 16 people, according to a military official cited by AFP. “There was an uprising after the incident but the situation was brought under control”, said Captain Oya James. Security agents and soldiers were deployed to monitor the area and avoid disturbances to public order.

“Proactive measures will be taken by the government to curb the ongoing attacks on innocent citizens,” said Gyang Bere, the governor’s spokesperson. The governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, for his part condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric, brutal and unjustified”.

Residents live in terror

In Nigeria, residents of the country’s northwest and central regions live in terror of attacks by jihadist groups and criminal groups called “bandits” who pillage villages and kill or kidnap the inhabitants.

“We were sleeping at night, when suddenly violent gunshots rang out. We were afraid because we did not expect any attack,” Markus Amorudu, a resident of the village, told AFP. “People hid, but the attackers captured many of us, some were killed, others were injured.” he added.