In a statement released Tuesday, the Nigerian president urged dialogue and political will to resolve the situation.

According to local sources, after midnight on Sunday, Fulani herdsmen stormed the community of Zike, in the town of Bassa, where 53 persons were 60 wounded.

The Muslim Fulani herdsmen have an age-old conflict with Christian farming communities over control of land. Monday’s attack came a week after another clash left 52 people dead.

Such inter-communal fighting is common in Nigeria’s Plateau state, located in the center of the country, because of the ethnic diversity of its population.

According to the Abuja government, more than 1,300 people were killed in this territory between December 2023 and February 2024, including 533 women and 263 children.

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