Deadly Attack on Mining Community Leaves Some 40 Dead in Nigeria

Around 40 people were killed in a raid on a mining community in north-central Nigeria, VOA reported yesterday.

The attack occurred late Monday in Wase district, Plateau state, when armed men on motorcycles opened fire on residents of the Zurak mining community and set homes ablaze, the source mentioned.

The area has long been a flashpoint for conflicts over resources, with tensions exacerbated by climate change and the presence of heavily armed criminal groups.

Climate change has escalated tensions over grazing land, water access and other resources, such as the state’s metal reserves.

In January, intercommunal clashes erupted in Plateau’s Mangu town that left churches and mosques burned, more than 50 people dead and thousands displaced.