Violence erupts between communities in central Nigeria, where two Catholic priests and 16 worshipers were killed when gunmen believed to be nomadic pastoralists attacked a church during a funeral procession Tuesday morning in the village of Balom in Beno State, according to police sources. , while a few hours later, another 35 people were killed and many were reported missing when alleged breeders attacked the village of Badouen and set fire to the settlement, according to the online edition of the Daily Post Nigeria.
Hundreds of people have been killed in clashes in the past year between predominantly Muslim cattle breeders and mostly Christian farmers as violence erupts in central Nigeria as pressure continues on President Muhammadu Buhari, who plans to run for re-election next year.
Bukhari, a Muslim from the Fulani tribe, has been accused of taking no action despite the massacres because most of his breeders are religious and compatriot, something his government denies. This year, Bukhari ordered the deployment of army forces in the State.
The first attack, carried out by about XNUMX gunmen, was carried out early Tuesday morning during a memorial service before a funeral in the village of Balom village, according to Benoit State Police Chief Fatai Ouoseni.
"Criminals suspected of being pastoralists have attacked Balom," Owenseni told reporters. "16 bodies (of believers) and these two priests" were retrieved from the scene of the attack, the senior officer continued, adding that the police are investigating "the whole area" to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Bloody clashes in central Nigeria, linked to pasture access rights and declining arable land, have raised questions about whether the government is able to guarantee security in the country.
According to Owenseni, the attackers then "looted more than 60 houses, farmland and barns" while terrified residents fled to neighboring villages.
President Bukhari condemned the "heinous crimes" in the state of Benoit and promised that the perpetrators would "pay for the commission of this sacrilege" in a statement issued on Tuesday.
"Violating a place of worship, killing priests and believers is not only disgusting and satanic," he said, adding that "it will fuel religious conflict and plunge our communities into endless bloodbaths," he warned.
In Makurdi, about XNUMX kilometers from the village of Balom, hundreds of angry young people took to the streets to protest the killings, setting fire to tires and causing traffic problems. Police used tear gas to repel them.
The resource conflict, exacerbated by the demographic boom in Africa's most populous country (population 180 million), has taken on increasing racial and religious characteristics in recent months.
More than 2.500 people were killed in clashes of this nature in Nigeria in 2016, according to a report by the International Crisis Group.
According to the Nigerian Disaster Management Agency, since the beginning of this year, the conflict has displaced more than 175.000 people in Beno State, including 80.000 children. The displaced now live mostly in camps.