Suspected herders kill at least 17 in Nigeria amid rising clashes

At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.

The violence came just days after a separate attack in Otukpo, Benue, that left 11 dead, and a week after gunmen attacked villages in neighboring Plateau State, resulting in over 50 deaths. These recent attacks highlight the ongoing tension and instability caused by years of confrontations over land and resources between farmers and herders.

The clashes have severely disrupted food supplies in north-central Nigeria, a critical agricultural region. According to SBM Intelligence, over 500 people have died in these conflicts since 2019, with more than 2.2 million people displaced by the violence.

On Friday morning, a group of suspected herdsmen attacked farmers in Gbagir, located in Benue’s Ukum Local Government Area, killing five. Police were in the process of confronting the attackers when they came under fire. Simultaneously, another 12 individuals were killed in an attack in Logo local council area, about 70 kilometers away. Police are continuing their efforts to address the violence in the region.

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