At least 20 people were killed when armed attackers struck a village in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, according to local authorities, while a community representative put the toll at 27. The assault happened early on Tuesday in Tahoss, within Riyom Local Government Area.
Dewan Gabriel, a member of the Plateau State assembly, said the attack occurred during the early hours. Images circulated on social media appeared to show bodies and burned buildings, although those images alone did not establish who carried out the raid. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
Sati Shuwa, an elected official responsible for the area, said the assailants carried guns and machetes and set houses on fire despite security personnel being present. BBC News Pidgin identified the affected settlement as Bindi, also known as Jebu, in the Tahoss community.
Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, national chairman of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association, gave the BBC a higher casualty figure of 27, saying women and children were among those killed. He said suspicious movements had been reported on Monday evening and that security personnel had been alerted before attackers entered the area at about 3 a.m. His account also described injuries and homes being burned.
The differing totals had not been reconciled in the supplied reporting. Plateau State police spokesperson DSP Alfred Alabo told the BBC that the command was still gathering information and would issue a statement. That left the confirmed scale of the casualties and the identity of the attackers unresolved.
The chairman of Riyom Local Government Area confirmed that the raid took place while residents were sleeping. He said repeated violence had displaced many people, while government agencies and nongovernmental organisations were providing food, clothing and other relief. He urged residents to remain calm and avoid retaliation, and said authorities would seek a greater security presence.
The attack occurred amid recurring violence in parts of northern and central Nigeria, where disputes involving farming, grazing, land and water have increasingly been accompanied by armed raids. Those broader tensions do not by themselves establish responsibility for this incident. The AP reported that gunmen had killed at least 150 people in neighboring Benue State the previous month, adding to concern over attacks on rural communities.
Gabriel said the frequency of attacks in Riyom had generated fear and called for a revised security approach. Mwantiri also sought an investigation into why the assault was not prevented after warnings were reportedly passed to security forces. With no immediate claim of responsibility and official information still developing, the precise death toll and circumstances remained under investigation.
