President Muhammadu Buhari appealed for calm as the military and police tried to end the "deeply unfortunate" bloodshed in the Plateau state and said "no efforts will be spared" to find the attackers and prevent reprisal attacks.
Nigeria's government did not announce a death toll. But the independent Channels Television cited a Plateau State police spokesman, Mathias Tyopev, as saying 86 people had been killed, with at least 50 houses destroyed, in violence that appeared to have started overnight.
Deadly clashes between herders and farmers in central Nigeria are a growing security concern in Africa's most populous country, which is roughly split between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south.
The fighting between herders and farmers by some accounts has been deadlier than Nigeria's Boko Haram extremist insurgency, which continues to carry out attacks in the northeast.
The grievous loss of lives & property arising from the killings in Plateau today is painful and regrettable. My deepest condolences to the affected communities. We will not rest until all murderers and criminal elements and their sponsors are incapacitated and brought to justice.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 24, 2018
That extremist threat has been cited as one cause of the growing tensions in central Nigeria as herders - also feeling the effects of climate change - are forced south into more populated farming communities in search of safe grazing.
The widespread security issues pose a major challenge to Mr Buhari, a Muslim former military ruler who won office in a democratic transfer of power in 2015, as elections approach next year.
While few details emerged immediately of the latest killings, Nigerians for hours Sunday on social media shared a growing sense that something awful had occurred.
Earlier in the day the Plateau State governor, Simon Bako Lalong, announced a 6pm to 6am curfew after saying had woken up to the "shocking news" of the attacks. In a series of message posted on Twitter he gave few details about "this horrible situation"
Operational plans are currently being put in place to secure the affected communities and fish out perpetrators of these crimes. While we pray for God's guidance through this difficult time, we will do everything humanly possible to secure our state immediately. pic.twitter.com/e8OXAP9UJJ
— Simon Bako Lalong (@SimonLalong) June 24, 2018
The governor said the curfew affects the communities of Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi "and is in effect until further notice".
Reporting by Associated Press. Received by Press Association.
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