Gunmen Kill at Least 20 in Nigeria's Plateau State

At least 20 people were killed in a nighttime attack by gunmen on a community in Nigeria's northcentral Plateau State, residents and officials reported, amid a long-standing pattern of violence in the region.

The assault took place late Sunday in the Gari Ya Waye community of Jos North, according to Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state's commissioner for information. In a statement, Ramnap confirmed losses of life and injuries but did not specify a casualty figure. Local resident Ibukun Falodun told reporters that 20 deaths had been verified. Witnesses described numerous assailants arriving on motorcycles and firing indiscriminately into the area. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident, and authorities have launched an investigation.

In response, the Plateau State government declared a 48-hour curfew across Jos North, effective from Sunday evening until Wednesday morning, to curb potential further violence and maintain order. "The curfew is to prevent further attacks," Ramnap stated.

The attack underscores the persistent insecurity in Plateau State, part of Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt, where clashes over land and resources have claimed thousands of lives in recent...