Posted by Samuel on Mon 14th Apr, 2025 - tori.ng
The global human rights watchdog described the attack as horrific and pointed to grave security lapses that allowed the gunmen to carry out the massacre unchallenged.
Amnesty International has denounced the recent surge of violence in Plateau State, where gunmen launched a late-night attack on Zikke village in Bassa Local Government Area, leaving at least 51 people dead.
The global human rights watchdog described the attack as horrific and pointed to grave security lapses that allowed the gunmen to carry out the massacre unchallenged.
According to Amnesty International Nigeria, the assailants also razed surrounding villages, looted homes, and destroyed everything in their path.
“Many of the victims of last night’s deadly attack that could not run — including children and the elderly — were slaughtered and left in pools of blood,” the group said via its official X handle on Sunday afternoon.
This attack comes just two weeks after another deadly incident in the same region that left 52 people dead. Amnesty International is now calling for urgent and transparent investigations to uncover why communities in Plateau continue to suffer repeated bloodshed with little accountability.
The organization emphasized the need for Nigerian authorities to address the security failures that have made rural communities increasingly vulnerable to such violence.
Bassa LGA has been one of the flashpoints of recurring violence in Plateau, often linked to communal tensions and resource-based conflicts.
Local residents say they have repeatedly raised concerns over the lack of proactive security measures in the area.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State government and security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident.