(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –At least 86 people have died in central Nigeria after violent clashes broke out between farmers and cattle herders, police in Plateau state said.
Some reports say fighting began on Thursday when ethnic Berom farmers attacked Fulani herders, killing five of them.
A retaliatory attack on Saturday led to more deaths.
The area has a decades-long history of violence between ethnic groups competing for land.
A curfew has now been imposed in three parts of the state.
State police commissioner Undie Adie said a search of villages following the bloodshed revealed that 86 people had been killed, and six injured.
He said 50 houses had been burned, as well as 15 motorbikes and two vehicles.
Who are the Fulani herdsmen?
They are believed to be the largest semi-nomadic group in the world and are found across West and Central Africa – from Senegal to the Central African Republic.
In Nigeria, some continue to live as semi-nomadic herders, while others have moved to cities.
The nomadic groups spend most of their lives in the bush.
They herd their animals across vast areas, frequently clashing with farming communities.
