The Benue state government has confirmed that 16 people died and 20 others were injured after Fulani herdsmen raided Gwer west group of villages in the state.
The violence broke out on Sunday when the herdsmen descended on the communities.
Violence over land is common in Nigeria, where the majority of its 160 million people are subsistence farmers in rural areas with few means of arbitrating disputes.
The middlebelt, where a largely Christian south and mostly Muslim north meet, is particularly volatile.
Hundreds of people are killed every year in such clashes although they are usually sporadic and rarely escalate into sustained conflict .
Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State; ASP Alaribe Ejikea confirmed that a team of police has been deployed to the area to restore peace.
