Gunmen Kill 20 People in Nigeria

Nigerian police announced that at least 20 people have been killed and others injured by gunfire today, Thursday, after gunmen attacked two villages in Plateau State, located in central Nigeria, where violence between herders and farmers is common. Plateau police spokesperson Alfred Alabo reported that the attacks occurred in the early hours of Thursday when unknown gunmen struck the village of Tagwam Lauro, killing 17 people before killing three more in the neighboring village of Laiwok. Alabo stated in a statement that several others were injured in the attacks with varying degrees of gunshot injuries, urging residents to remain calm and vowing to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators. The violence is often described as ethnic religious violence, with predominantly Muslim herders clashing with predominantly Christian farmers. However, many experts and politicians argue that climate change and agricultural expansion create competition for land, leading to conflict between farmers and herders regardless of beliefs or ethnicities.