At least 12 people were killed and three others were abducted in a mine attack in Atoso village in Nigeria’s restive Plateau state, a local leader said.

The attackers attacked the mine on Tuesday night, Dalip Solomon Wantiri, head of the Berom Youth Molders Association (BYM), said on Wednesday. Five others were injured in the attack and are being treated in hospital.

According to locals, the attackers are members of an armed Fulani militia.

Alfred Alabo, a spokesman for the Plateau state police, said an investigation had been launched into the incident.

The attack highlighted the long-standing insecurity in the Plateau region, known as Nigeria’s “middle belt.”

The region is often the scene of deadly violence, often fueled by ethnic and religious tensions and clashes between farmers and herders. Despite government assurances of peace, the violence has not abated.

Mwantiri said the attack came days after four children were killed in a nearby village. He accused authorities of ignoring early warning signs.

BYM has demanded that the government deploy more security forces to enforce the law banning the release of animals in open spaces and rescue the kidnapped people.