Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150, survivors say

DAKAR, Senegal -- The decease toll from an attack by gunmen implicit the weekend successful north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday arsenic the villagers were inactive digging done burned homes, counting their dormant and looking for dozens of radical inactive missing.

Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata assemblage precocious connected Friday night, opening occurrence connected villagers who were dormant and mounting their homes ablaze, survivors and the section farmers national said. Many of those killed were sheltering successful a section marketplace aft fleeing unit successful different parts of the state.

No 1 instantly claimed work for the killings, but specified attacks are communal successful Nigeria’s bluish region wherever section herders and farmers often clash implicit constricted entree to onshore and water. The prolonged conflict has go deadlier successful caller years, with authorities and analysts informing that much herdsmen are taking up arms.

The farmers impeach the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock connected their farms and destroying their produce. The herders importune that the lands are grazing routes that were archetypal backed by instrumentality successful 1965, 5 years aft the state gained its independence.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, whose authorities has fallen abbreviated of expectations successful ending the country’s deadly information crises, described the Benue onslaught arsenic “senseless bloodletting” portion his bureau said helium would sojourn the stricken assemblage connected Wednesday.

Titus Tsegba, who mislaid his woman and 4 of his children successful the attack, said much than 20 bodies were recovered connected Monday. The archetypal decease toll was reported to beryllium 100 connected Saturday.

His woman and children — the youngest 8 and the oldest 27 — were “burned into ashes beyond recognition,” helium told The Associated Press, adding that helium survived due to the fact that helium was sleeping successful different portion of the community.

"Everything is gone,” helium said.

Benue Deputy Gov. Sam Ode said helium suspected the perpetrators were herdsmen. Ode and the survivors spoke to the AP by phone.

The gunmen made it hard for galore to fly aft surrounding the Yelewata community, which is astir 120 kilometers (75 miles) distant from the authorities superior of Makurdi, said Jacob Psokaa, who mislaid his 55-year-old begetter successful the attack.

“They were coming from antithetic sides astatine the aforesaid infinitesimal … it was sporadic shooting,” Psokaa said. “The concern is precise atrocious present with galore radical successful the crushed … your radical leaving you suddenly.”

The gunmen besides burned nutrient stores successful the section market, razing a year’s harvest that included atom and yam, staple nutrient chiefly exported from Benue to different parts of Nigeria.

“Enough is enough!” said Tinubu, the president. “I person directed the information agencies to enactment decisively, apprehension perpetrators of these evil acts connected each sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.”