By Camillus Eboh
LAGOS (Reuters) – No less than 17 individuals had been killed when suspected cattle herders attacked communities in central Nigeria’s Benue State on Thursday, police stated, amid a resurgence of lethal clashes between farmers and herders.
Years of clashes have disrupted meals provides from north-central Nigeria, a big agricultural space.
The newest assaults got here two days after 11 individuals had been killed within the Otukpo space of Benue and barely every week after gunmen attacked villages and killed greater than 50 individuals in neighbouring Plateau State.
Since 2019, the clashes have claimed greater than 500 lives within the area and compelled 2.2 million to go away their houses, in line with analysis agency SBM Intelligence.
A separate group of suspected herdsmen shot and killed 5 farmers round Gbagir in Benue’s Ukum Native Authorities Space, early on Friday, police stated. The attackers opened hearth as police had been shifting in to confront them, police spokesperson Sewuese Anene stated in a press release.
Whereas officers had been participating the attackers at Ukum, one other 12 individuals had been killed in one other assault in Brand native council space, about 70 km away, police stated.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Ben Ezeamalu; Enhancing by Andrew Heavens)
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