Nigeria: 35 killed in Bassa attacks (Plateau state) Oct. 15-16

Event

Some 29 people are believed to have been killed in a dawn attack carried out by unidentified armed men on Monday, October 16, in the village of Nkiedonwhro, located in the Irigwe Chiefdom of the Bassa Local Government Area (LGA). An additional six people were killed in a similar attack targeting the Ta’agbe community in Maingo district, also in the Bassa LGA, on October 15. The assailants, who initially entered the area around noon (local time) on October 14, also injured five people and set fire to at least ten houses. Both incidents have been blamed on Fulani herdsmen and came shortly after the Plateau state governor imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the Bassa LGA.

Context

These attacks in the Bassa LGA are the third and fourth incidents in the last three weeks to occur in the area, following separate attacks in the Ncha and Jebu-Miango areas which left at least 28 people dead. Further reports indicate that there had been threats of an impending attack on Dong Kassa (a community near Jos Wild Life Park, about 5 km [3 mi] from Ta’agbe village).

The governor imposed the above-mentioned curfew following recurring incidents and tensions in the Irigwe chiefdom and neighboring areas around the Bassa LGA, especially around Vom in Jos South LGA and Manchok in Kaduna state. The daily curfew, which is in addition to a 20:00 to 06:00 curfew in the Jos-Buruku area, runs from 18:00 to 06:00 and will remain in place until further notice.

Advice

Individuals present in the Bassa LGA are advised to adhere to the curfew and any further orders issued by local authorities, and to monitor the situation.

Generally speaking, the security environment in Nigeria is complex and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.