The Christmas Eve killings in the Nigerian central Plateau state marked a brutal episode of violence that has become disturbingly common in the region. The attacks, orchestrated by suspected nomadic herders, resulted in the deaths of at least 140 people and left a trail of destruction through 15 villages.

While the immediate trigger for the attacks on that particular Christmas Eve remains unclear, the broader context of violence in the region, known as the "Middle Belt," points to underlying socio-ethnic tensions.

Nigeria - New photos from within a church where at Christmas........

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