Mining Site Attack Occurs in Nigeria

(MENAFN) At least 12 individuals lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when armed assailants stormed a mining site in Plateau State, central Nigeria, according to local authorities and community representatives.

The assault occurred late Tuesday in the Barkin Ladi area, where attackers opened fire on miners before escaping. Reports suggest three people were abducted during the incident, allegedly by armed Fulani militias. Five victims were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, leader of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), told a media outlet.

Police in Plateau State confirmed the attack, noting that security personnel had been dispatched to the scene and investigations were underway. The region has frequently suffered violence tied to criminal networks and ethnic tensions.

This latest strike adds to a growing wave of deadly assaults across Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, where armed groups have intensified raids on rural communities, churches, and schools, particularly in the northwest and Middle Belt.

In response to worsening insecurity, the federal government declared a nationwide security emergency last month, ordering increased deployment of military and police forces and ramping up operations against kidnappings and attacks.

The UN human rights office reported that since November 17, at least 402 people—mostly schoolchildren—have been abducted across four north-central states: Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Borno.

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