Families in northeastern Benue State were burying 11 people killed in an attack on a predominantly Christian farming community, as separate violence was also reported in Plateau State.
Suspected armed Fulani militia attacked Ayilamo in Tombo Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area, on 10 September, killing seven civilians and four police officers, according to the Benue State Police Command.
Ayilamo is about 112 miles northeast of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, close to the borders with Taraba and Nasarawa states.
Police said the attack began at about 6:12 p.m. Officers from the Police Mobile Force, tactical teams and conventional units engaged the attackers in a gun battle lasting around seven hours. The assailants eventually withdrew into nearby forests, according to authorities.
Umishi Terungwa, a community security official, said the attackers arrived in large numbers after crossing by boat from areas in neighbouring Taraba and Nasarawa states.
"I narrowly escaped death because I hid myself on the rooftop," Terungwa said. He said he heard the attackers speaking Fulani and chanting "Allahu Akbar" as they fired at and attacked residents.
However, his account could not independently establish the identities or affiliations of those responsible.
Four police officers were killed while confronting the attackers, police said. Additional tactical personnel were later deployed to the area.
Ayilamo is largely dependent on farming, with residents describing the community as overwhelmingly Christian. Many families in the area are members of the Catholic Church.
The violence in Benue came as further attacks were reported hundreds of miles away in Plateau State.
On the night of 13 September, suspected gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying passengers towards Jos, the Plateau State capital.
The shooting took place at about 9:40 p.m. near Dungus Junction in Kuru District, Jos South Local Government Area, according to Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders.
Nine passengers were reportedly killed and others wounded. Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow, a state-backed community security initiative.
A resident, Musa Dauda, said some of the injured passengers later died while receiving medical treatment, while others remained in hospital.
The Plateau State Police Command later confirmed that unidentified gunmen travelling on a motorcycle had opened fire on a Toyota bus carrying passengers towards Jos.
Other attacks were reported across Plateau during the same weekend.
In Mangu Local Government Area, suspected attackers struck Vodni in Pushit District, killing two people and injuring four others, according to local reports. The injured were taken to a hospital in Mangu town.
Two further people were reported killed in Tahoos, in Riyom Local Government Area.
Plateau authorities said they were working with security agencies, traditional institutions and community leaders to improve security through intelligence sharing and greater engagement with local communities.
The latest incidents come amid continuing violence affecting farming communities and people travelling through Nigeria's Middle Belt, including Benue and Plateau states.
Based on reporting by International Christian Concern.
