An armed gang ambushed local self-defence units in Nigeria’s central Plateau State over the weekend, killing at least 40 vigilantes, the state branch of the Red Cross said on Tuesday. Residents and community leaders warned the toll could climb to roughly 70 as more bodies are recovered from surrounding bushland. The assault unfolded on Sunday near Kukawa in Kanam Local Government Area, where hundreds of volunteer guards had regrouped after earlier clashes. Witnesses said the gunmen struck again in the nearby Bunyun Nyalum community, leaving another 10 dead and setting several houses ablaze before withdrawing into the forest. Vigilante groups have proliferated across rural Nigeria, filling security gaps as heavily armed ‘bandits’ intensify kidnappings and raids. The Red Cross cautioned that poor communications and difficult terrain are hampering rescue efforts and that additional casualties are likely. The attack underscores a broader deterioration in Nigeria’s security environment. Data released on Tuesday by the National Human Rights Commission show 2,266 people were killed by insurgents or bandits in the first half of 2025—already exceeding the total for all of 2024—while 857 people were abducted. Security forces remain stretched across multiple conflicts ranging from Islamist insurgencies in the northeast to separatist violence in the southeast.