Nigerian military and officials say at least 26 killed in 3 weekend attacks on civilians and police

A man walks past the National Assembly building in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Nigeria's lawmakers on Thursday approved the new government's first supplemental budget, which includes huge allocations for SUVs and houses for the president, his wife and other public officials, sparking anger and criticism from citizens in one of the world's poorest countries. (AP Photo/Chinedu Asadu)

ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 26 people have been killed in three separate Easter attacks in northern Nigeria, according to the Nigerian military and local officials.

At least 17 were killed on Saturday when armed men attacked the Mbalom community in the Gwer West area of Nigeria’s north-central Benue State.

Benue State Gov. Hyacinth Alia confirmed the attacks on Sunday, but did not specify how many people were killed in the attack. Residents gave the figure of 17.

Attacks like these are part of a long-running cycle of violence in north-central Nigeria, where disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes. Criminal gangs are also active.

Tarhana Samson, a community resident, described the attacks as “devastating.” “The rainy season is coming, and this is when people are preparing to go to their farms. How do they do that now?” Samson said.

In a separate attack early Saturday morning against a police headquarters in Borno State in the northeast of the country, four police officers were killed after a protracted gunfight with an Islamic State-affiliated group, according to Borno Police Public Relations Officer Kenneth Daso.

On Sunday, at an Easter service in Ariko village, in Kaduna state, gunmen killed five people according to the army.

The identity of the gunmen is unknown. The army said the assailants were forced to abandon the abduction of 31 hostages after troops responded to a distress call.

“Regrettably, the remains of five victims already killed by the terrorists were also recovered at the scene,” the army said. “The fleeing terrorists are believed to have sustained significant casualties, as evidenced by blood trails along their escape routes.”

Kaduna has continued to record attacks on churches and frequent abductions. In January, more than 150 worshippers were abducted from Kurmin Wali, a village in Kaduna’s Kajuru area about 60 kilometers from Sunday’s attack.

Similar attacks on churches have sparked allegations of the persecution of Christians by U.S. President Donald Trump and some American lawmakers, which the Nigerian government has rejected. The U.S. government launched military strikes in Sokoto on Dec. 25, allegedly targeting an Islamic State group in the region.

The Nigerian government has rejected the characterization of the country’s escalating security crises as a “Christian genocide.”

Dyepkazah Shibayan And Haruna Umar, The Associated Press