‘Gunmen went from house to house, killing people who were sleeping’ - Survivors of Plateau night of horror

Residents of Bin-Per community in Nigeria's Plateau State recount a night of terror as heavily armed attackers descended, killing at least 24 people and destroying homes and farmlands. The assault, which began around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, August 17, saw gunmen reportedly open fire on local vigilantes before splitting into groups to move from house to house.

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Our village came under attack in the early hours of today, Tuesday, by heavily armed persons. They were moving from house to house, opening the doors of people who were sleeping and slaughtering them.

Survivors described a horrific scene where attackers forced their way into homes, targeting sleeping residents. Daniel Musa, an eyewitness, stated, "They were moving from house to house, opening the doors of people who were sleeping and slaughtering them." The scale of the violence was evident in accounts of entire families being wiped out. Mr. Fangwsak James reported that eight members of one family were killed, leaving only a severely injured two-year-old child.

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I was with some of my co-vigilantes keeping watch over the community when we heard shooting from all over. I managed to escape through a maize farm. My wife and children were not spared. They went into my house and opened fire on them while they were sleeping. I was taken to the hospital. It was the next day that I discovered that my wife had been killed.

Shedrack Ayuba recounted losing his wife and four children. He was with vigilantes when the shooting began from multiple directions. Ayuba managed to escape through a maize farm after being shot in the leg, only to discover the next day that his family had been killed inside their home. Another resident noted a man who lost three children, underscoring the devastating impact on families.

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They positioned themselves strategically and scattered themselves so that nobody would escape. They did not spare anyone. They killed everyone.

Residents also reported that the attackers strategically positioned themselves to prevent escape, with some individuals attempting to flee being killed. Ronbak Maxwell stated that about two vigilantes were killed before the gunmen advanced into the community. He added that help was slow to arrive and that most casualties were women and children. Following the attack, women of Bin-Per took to the streets in protest, carrying leaves as they mourned their dead and highlighted the destruction of their community's economic foundation.

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We called for help but the response was not fast.