MANGU, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA – JANUARY 24, 2024 Man died after a brutal attack in which he was allegedly first beaten and then attacked with a machete. A video documenting the incident appeared online and was published with claims that it was connected to the violence that occurred on January 24, 2024.
Plateau State, located in central Nigeria, has long faced violent clashes between various communities. The main actors in the conflict include Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farming communities, who compete for access to land and natural resources.
During the latest wave of violence in the Mangu area, villages were reportedly attacked, houses, schools, and religious buildings were burned, and looting took place. Although authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in the district, the attacks continued. According to local officials and humanitarian organizations, dozens of people were killed and more than 100 others were injured.
The Mwagavur Development Association accused Fulani herders of attacking the village of Kwahaslalek. However, the allegation is part of a broader and long-running conflict in which both sides accuse each other of violence and retaliatory attacks.
Tensions in central Nigeria are rooted mainly in land disputes between nomadic herders and settled farmers. The conflict is further worsened by climate change, population growth, resource shortages, cycles of revenge, and the activities of armed criminal groups.
