Herders and their herds were in the village of Rukubi, on the border between Nasarawa and Benue states in Nigeria, when a “bomb” exploded in their midst on Wednesday evening. The latest report shows 40 dead, against 27 previously, the government announced.
Police experts are investigating the origin of the explosion. For its part, a group representing pastoralists said Wednesday that the explosion came from a strike by the Nigerian army. “It was an airstrike. It killed 27 people” from the group, said Lawal Dano of the Nigeria Cattle Breeders Association, Miyetti Allah. “We all know that only the military have planes to carry out airstrikes, and we call for a thorough investigation and necessary sanctions for those behind this,” the official added.
In the past, there have been accidental military strikes on civilians in the north of the country where the military is fighting jihadists and criminal gangs. But the police also mention communal violence in the region.