At least 100 people killed in gunmen attack in Nigeria: Rights group
At least 100 people have been killed in a northcentral Nigerian town following an overnight attack by gunmen, as Amnesty International called for the government to end the 'almost daily bloodshed in Benue state'.
The attack, which occurred from late Friday into Saturday morning, took place in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, according to Amnesty.
'Amnesty International has been documenting the alarming escalation of attacks across Benue state where gunmen have been on a killing spree with utter impunity. These attacks have been causing massive displacement and may affect food security as majority of the victims are farmers,' the rights group wrote on X.
'The Nigerian authorities' failure to stem the violence is costing people's lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost,' the organisation said, adding that many people were still missing from the attack.Tersoo Kula, a spokesperson for the state governor's office, told the AFP news agency earlier on Saturday that the attack lasted about two hours and a 'number of houses [were] burnt down'.
He added that government officials and police officials had visited Yelwata and 'confirmed' a lower death toll of 45.
Police spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the attack to AFP and said police had engaged the attackers in a gunfight.
But locals told AFP that they feared that more than 100 people had been killed in the attack.
'It is terribly bad, many people have died,' Amineh Liapha Hir, a resident of the town, said. 'It could be more than 100, and many houses were also burnt,' Hir added.
Another resident, Christian Msuega, said he escaped the attack, but his sister and brother-in-law had died after being burned alive.
In the region, attacks are common as local herders, mostly Muslim ethnic Fulani, and farmers, many of whom are Christian, clash over the limited access to land and water.
Last month, gunmen who were believed to be herders killed at least 20 people in the Gwer West area of Benue.
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