Fifteen people including a policeman have been reported killed when unidentified attackers raided and burnt four villages in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State yesterday.
The villages are Bulkutu, Wakta, Jakute and Suwa, according to people who fled the violence and took refuge in neighbouring settlements.
Residents of the affected areas said the incident was a reprisal attack by Fulani over an earlier attack against their kinsmen by the villagers in January.
They said the assailants, who came in large numbers, invaded the communities killing people, burning homes and destroying farm produce.
"Our entire villages were completely razed down," James Aboki, who escaped from one of the villages, said. "Adults were mostly affected."
Aboki, now taking refuge in nearby Tigno village, said domestic animals were not left out in the attack.
Helen Thompson, who also escaped the attack, said at least 1,000 women and children that fled the areas were taking refuge in Tigno, Lamurde and Lafia.
Daily Trust reports that the Tigno Primary School premises have been turned into a camp for survivors of the violence, with some of them sleeping under trees.
Many residents fled before the arrival of the attackers as they had heard of the impending attacks, they said.
They alleged that the authorities had been notified of the impending attacks but adequate protection was not provided.
Others, however, said that police were deployed to prevent the attack but the attackers followed bush path and surprised the police.
Authorities declined comments over the causes or the exact nature of the attack.
State Police commissioner Mark Adamu Idako, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust by telephone, said it was difficult to ascertain the casualty figures by the time our reporter called.
"We received a distress call from the affected villages but due to the bad road leading to the areas it took our men about an hour to get to the villages," he said.
Idako said the situation was under control, and urged residents to remain calm and not to take the laws into their own hands. He added that the police were working to establish exactly who the attackers were.
On Friday, the investigation panel set up by the Adamawa State Government on reprisal attacks in four local government areas said it found that at least 67 people were killed, 285 people displaced and property worth N1.4 billion destroyed during the incidents of violence.
The committee investigated reprisals in Numan, Lamurde, Demsa, Girei and Guyuk local government areas after violence in Mubi and Jimeta.
3 poker players killed in Kano
Gunmen yesterday opened fire on a group of men playing cards in Tukuntawa area of Kano, killing three and injuring five others.
The attack, which residents said was the second in as many weeks on poker joints in the area, happened around 6pm at the popular Layin Shehu Zaiti.
Witnesses said the place was packed with card players when four gunmen arrived on two motorcycles and started shooting indiscriminately.
Daily Trust gathered that three people died immediately, while four others were taken to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in critical conditions.
Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Musa Magaji Majiya, confirmed yesterday's attack but did not give casualty figures.
A similar assault on another poker game spot two weeks ago, left a teenager seriously wounded, residents said.
A resident who does not want his name mentioned said a warning letter had been sent to the playing card group before yesterday's attack. "The letter threatened them with grievous consequences should they refuse to vacate the spot as instructed," he said.
Daily Trust