ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 20 people lost their lives when an armed group stormed a community in north-central Nigeria, according to police who announced the attack on Monday.
The assault took place Sunday in the Kawel community, situated in the Bokkos area of Plateau State, according to police spokesman Alfred Alabo, who released the information in an official statement.
Officers responded quickly and engaged in a gunfight with the attackers, eventually forcing them to flee the area, Alabo said. Despite the confrontation, no one was taken into custody.
No organization has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the deadly assault, which occurred in an area that has seen repeated episodes of violence over the years.
“The remains of the victims have since been released to their families for burial, as the families declined autopsy,” Alabo said.
Plateau State Gov. Caleb Mutfwang directed the government’s emergency management and humanitarian agencies to deliver immediate assistance and support to those affected, according to a statement from spokesperson Joyce Ramnap.
The United Nations has documented how an ongoing insurgency in northeastern Nigeria has claimed thousands of lives and forced millions of people from their homes over the years. Armed criminal groups continue to operate across the northwest and north-central regions of the country as well.
This latest bloodshed follows a nighttime attack in March that also claimed 20 lives, striking the Gari Ya Waye community in Plateau State.
