In central Nigeria, armed groups have reportedly claimed the lives of at least 160 people in a series of coordinated attacks on villages, according to local government officials on Monday. The initial army report on Sunday evening had cited only 16 casualties, highlighting a stark contrast with the updated toll.

Monday Kassah, the head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, revealed that the hostilities persisted from Saturday into the early hours of Monday, resulting in the confirmed death of 113 individuals. The attacks, orchestrated by armed groups referred to locally as "bandits," targeted over 20 different communities, leaving houses torched and more than 300 people wounded.

The local Red Cross provisionally reported 104 deaths in 18 villages in the Bokkos region, while an additional 50 fatalities were reported in various villages in the Barkin Ladi area. Dickson Chollom, a member of the state parliament, condemned the attacks and urged swift action from the security forces.

The violence initially erupted in the Bokkos area before spreading to the neighboring Barkin Ladi, where 30 people were found dead. Despite Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang denouncing the brutality as "barbaric, brutal, and unjustified," gunfire continued to be heard in the region, situated on the dividing line between Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north and mainly Christian south.

Amnesty International criticized the Nigerian government, stating on social media that "the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau State." The northwest and central regions of Nigeria have long been plagued by bandit militias conducting raids on villages for looting and kidnapping residents.

The underlying competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers, exacerbated by population growth and climate pressures, has heightened social tensions and contributed to violence. In addition to this, a jihadist conflict has persisted in northeastern Nigeria since 2009, with Boko Haram battling for supremacy against rivals linked to the Islamic State group.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who assumed office in February, has pledged to attract more investment to Nigeria, addressing the persistent security challenges in the country. The situation remains tense, with ongoing concerns about the government's ability to curb the attacks on rural communities.