Abuja, Nigeria — Gunmen have ambushed and killed security personnel patrolling communities in Plateau State, Nigeria, according to the state government.
The government did not specify the number of casualties, but the Kanam Development Association (KADA), a local group, said 20 personnel, including two senior military officers and eight local security operatives, were killed in the ambush.
The ambush took place on Friday around Wanka, Caram and Gambau communities located in Kanam region of Plateau State. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The state government on Sunday condemned the attack and said security agencies were implementing measures to intensify surveillance and strengthen security presence across vulnerable communities.
“For three to four years, these communities have been subjected to repeated attacks, cattle rustling, kidnappings and destruction of property by armed bandits,” KADA said in a statement on Saturday.
For years, Nigeria has been grappling with a complex security crisis from various armed groups, especially in the northern part of the country.
Among the most prominent Islamic extremist groups are Boko Haram and its splinter faction affiliated with the Islamic State group and the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province. There are also the IS-affiliated Lakurawa and other armed groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
The crisis has recently worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.
According to the United Nations, several thousand people have been killed in Nigeria. Analysts say the government is not doing enough to protect its citizens.
The United States has sent troops to the West African nation to advise its military in the fight against insecurity.
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