Key facts
- At least 18 people have died in clashes between rival communities in Niger state, Nigeria.
- The violence began after armed men killed a member of the Fulani community, leading to retaliatory killings.
- Local residents report a higher death toll, with hundreds fleeing their homes.
- Communal violence is a recurring issue in parts of Nigeria, often stemming from resource disputes.
- Separately, gunmen killed at least 15 people in Zamfara state on Friday, with another attack earlier in June resulting in 17 deaths.
At least 18 people have died in recent clashes between rival communities in Nigeria's northwestern Niger state, according to police. Local residents, however, claim the death toll is significantly higher, with hundreds fleeing their homes.
The violence in Niger state began when armed men killed a member of the Fulani community in the Tegina district on Monday, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun stated. The following day, a group retaliated by killing members of the Kamuku community. Local lawmaker Muhammad Adamu Kabo suggested the violence may have been triggered by other parliamentarians distributing cash to constituents.
One Tegina resident, Ibrahim Sani, reported that 56 people had died in the clashes. Communal violence is frequent in parts of central and northern Nigeria, often arising from disputes between farmers and herders over resources like grazing land.
Separately, gunmen attacked a farming community in the Talata Mafara area of Zamfara state on Friday, killing at least 15 people, according to an official. Lawmaker Abdullaziz Yari described the assault as a "terrorist attack." Earlier in June, 17 farmers were killed and 13 wounded in another part of Zamfara. Local government chairman Yahaya Yari made an appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the junior defense minister to intervene in the ongoing killings. An insurgency in northern Nigeria has caused thousands of deaths and millions of displacements over the years, with armed gangs active in kidnapping, extortion, and illegal mining.