Mob retaliates after gunmen kill 12 in Nigeria bar

Plateau state, in central Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, experiences recurring violence in the countryside, mostly linked to land disputes between farmers and herders.

Jos has seen bouts of sectarian violence in the past, but deadly, mass casualty attacks in the crowded city have been rare in recent years.

At least 12 people were killed on Sunday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a bar-cum-restaurant in the Anguwan Rukuba neighbourhood, in the Jos North district, said Plateau state Red Cross secretary Nurudeen Hussaini Magaji.

At least three people were killed when a mob formed to go after the attackers, he said, although others put the toll higher.

“The attackers shot people at a joint. We are told that 12 people died on the spot,” said Mangalle Idris, a local youth leader.

Then a mob formed and “attacked people that were either passing or doing business and they killed them”.