ABUJA/ISTANBUL

At least 23 people were killed by gunmen in attacks in Nigeria’s Benue State, with many others injured, an official said Sunday.

Ray Anumve, an official of the Kwande Local Government Area, said in an interview with a local newspaper that Fulani herdsmen, who are engaged in livestock farming, launched attacks on villages in the region.

Anumve confirmed that 23 people were killed, including children.

He said that several homes were also set on fire during the assaults and the attackers looted the villagers' food supplies.

There have been periodic violent clashes between Fulani herders and agricultural communities in Benue.

In a similar attack in April, nearly 100 people were killed in Benue.

Fulani herders, who migrate across various regions of the country to graze their cattle, have claimed that farmers are attempting to steal their livestock and are attacking them.

Armed gangs have exploited these conflicts, launching attacks and threatening the local population.