A military officer stated that gunmen killed at least 16 people in an attack on a community in central Nigeria on Sunday (December 24).

“There was an uprising after the incident, but the situation has been brought under control,” AFP quoted Captain Oya James as saying.

The incident occurred in the Plateau State community of Mushu, which has long been riven by religious and ethnic strife.

“We were sleeping at the time when there were loud gunshots.” “We were scared because we weren’t expecting any attacks,” said Markus Amorudu, a local resident.

“People hid but the attackers captured many of us, some were killed, others were wounded” , he went on to say.

The attack was described as “barbaric, brutal, and unjustified” by the state’s governor, Caleb Mutfwang.

Following the attack, security and military troops were dispatched to monitor the area and prevent public disruption.

“The government will take proactive measures to reduce ongoing attacks on innocent citizens,” said Gyang Bere, the governor’s spokesman.

People in Nigeria’s northern region have been forced to evacuate their homes.