Local Editor

Nigerian police reported Monday that gunmen suspected to be ethnic Fulani herders killed a policeman and 19 civilians in attacks on four farming communities in Nigeria's northeastern Adamawa state.

"We lost a DPO [Divisional Police Officer] and 19 civilians in his area of jurisdiction when they came under attack by Fulani herdsmen in Girei district," police spokesman Othman Abubakar stated.

Meanwhile, the senior police officer with his team were "responding to a distress call from the communities under attack to restore calm following an invasion by the armed herdsmen", he added.

In parallel, local media reports gave a much higher death toll hitting 30 following the raids on Sunday morning.

In further details, the herders raided Demsare, Wunamokoh, Dikajam and Taboungo farming villages in reprisals following an earlier feud between some herders and farmers over destruction of farm crops, Abubakar said.

"Reports at my disposal indicated that the attackers looted and carted away foodstuffs and livestock of the villagers before setting the villages ablaze," Abubakar reported by phone. "The corpses of the slain police officer and remaining civilians are currently deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team