MANGU: The north-central Nigerian state of Plateau has witnessed a surge of intercommunal violence over the past three months, leading to the displacement of at least 80,000 people, according to a local official. The clashes have primarily occurred between Muslim nomadic herders and Christian farming communities, resulting in an estimated death toll of around 300 people.
Major-General Taoreed Lagbaja, Nigeria’s military chief of staff, visited Mangu in Plateau State on Saturday to initiate special operations aimed at quelling the crisis. The clashes in Plateau State add to the security challenges facing new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the country also confronts jihadist threats, heavily armed bandit gangs, and separatist tensions.
Mangu district has been one of the hotspots of the recent violence, with villages ravaged, and farmland destroyed. Markus Artu, a top official in Mangu district, stated that there are approximately 80,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) spread across 11 various camps within the local government area. Yamput Daniel, one of the camp coordinators, provided a similar estimate.
While state emergency response agencies have provided aid, the official report on the total number of displaced individuals in the crisis is yet to be released. Additionally, some of the cattle herders’ communities have also been displaced due to the attacks.
Dire Conditions of Nigeria IDPs
The IDPs at the camps in Mangu are facing dire living conditions, residing in packed classrooms, some of which are in disrepair and have broken roofs. Their survival relies on meager supplies and maize donations from local churches. The displaced individuals have expressed their challenges, including a lack of food, water shortages, and disrupted education for the children.
In response to the escalating situation, Plateau’s Operation Safe Haven campaign has temporarily moved its headquarters to Mangu and deployed an additional 300 troops with armored vehicles to the district.
Plateau State, situated on the divide between Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south, has long been a center of tensions. The recent violence’s exact trigger remains unclear, but tensions between herders and farmers over land and resources often escalate into retaliatory village raids by armed gangs involving kidnapping, looting, and killing.
The displaced individuals expressed appreciation for the presence of security forces but urged the government to deploy more troops to villages to facilitate their return and address the pressing humanitarian needs.
