Suspected herders killed at least 42 people in weekend attacks on several villages in Nigeria’s central Benue state, a local official said on Tuesday.
Victor Omnin, chairman of Gwer West local government, said 32 bodies were recovered after Sunday’s attacks on Ahume and Aondona villages, while 10 more were killed in Saturday’s assault on Tyolaha and Tse-Ubiam.
“It’s a tragic situation. We’re still recovering corpses,” Omnin told reporters.
Benue lies in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where Muslim herders and Christian farmers often clash over land use, fueled by ethnic and religious divisions.
A Catholic priest was also shot in the attacks and is in critical but stable condition, according to Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s office.
