At least 14 people were killed in Plateau State on Thursday after unidentified gunmen ambushed a group of marketgoers returning home, according to local residents and Red Cross officials.
The victims, who had attended the weekly market in Bokkos town, were attacked near the village of Mangor in Nigeria’s violence-prone north-central region. The area has witnessed years of bloody conflict, driven by land disputes, climate pressures, and repeated attacks by heavily armed gangs known locally as “bandits.”
“Some armed men ambushed them, they fired gunshots indiscriminately,” said Moses Maren, a local youth leader, in a statement to AFP.
The Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross in Plateau State, Nurudeen Hussaini Magaji, confirmed the death toll on Friday, adding, “Amongst the dead were males, females and children.”
Bokkos is a key agricultural hub, renowned especially for its potato farming. Its Monday and Thursday markets draw traders from across West Africa, including Chad, Benin, Niger, and Cameroon.
Insecurity has become a major contributor to Nigeria’s worsening food inflation. According to a recent report by SBM Intelligence, prices of basic food items such as rice, onions, and pepper have surged by over 430 percent in neighbouring Bauchi State, driven by bandit attacks and worsening drought conditions.
Much of the violence in Plateau and other parts of central Nigeria is rooted in competition over land between predominantly Christian farming communities and Muslim Fulani herders. As land becomes increasingly scarce due to climate change and population growth, clashes have intensified, often taking on ethnic and religious dimensions.
Tensions escalated further following Thursday’s ambush. Residents reported that two youths were killed in a retaliatory attack carried out across ethnic lines.
“In retaliation for Thursday’s attacks, aggrieved youths have stormed a Fulani settlement close to the place where the ambush took place,” said Shanono Usman, a local trader, speaking to AFP.
Sale Adamu, a resident of Bokkos and a leader in the Fulani community, also confirmed the reprisal deaths.
Plateau State continues to grapple with fragile peace amid mounting economic pressure, deep-rooted grievances, and a volatile mix of politics, ethnicity, and religion that has repeatedly turned deadly.
