<p>At least 45 people, including women and children, have been killed in sectarian violence involving two ethnic groups over land row in Nigeria's northern state of Benue, police and witnesses said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Those killed belong to Tiv ethnic group while the attackers were the Fulani people who are mostly cattle herdsmen, witnesses said.<br /><br />The Tiv, who are mostly farmers, also had some of their houses burnt down by the invaders.<br />Ejike Alaribe, the police spokesman, said the number of people killed in Sunday's violence is 16 but a witness who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity insisted the number could not be less than 45, adding that the country's police is known for reducing casualty figures.<br /><br />The cause of the violence is related to land row between the two ethnic groups. The Fulanis, who are mostly Muslims, seek land for their cattle to graze while the Tivs want to preserve it for farming.<br /><br />Ethnic conflict over land are widespread in northern Nigeria. Most frequently, these occure in the country's north-central state of Plateau where Fulani herdsmen engage in clashes with the Biroms and other ethnic groups.<br /><br />The country has experienced ethnic and religious violence in the last few years, with members of Nigerian radical Islamist gropup Boko Haram waging a bloody war to install an Islamic government and Sharia rule in Africa’s largest oil producing nation.<br /><br />Nigeria, with 150-million people, has both Muslim and Christian population. Boko Haram has been responsible for a wave of sectarian and ethnic attacks in the last few months. A series of coordinated bomb and gun attacks in Kano city on January 20 killed at least 185 people, including an Indian from Gujarat.</p>
<p>At least 45 people, including women and children, have been killed in sectarian violence involving two ethnic groups over land row in Nigeria's northern state of Benue, police and witnesses said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Those killed belong to Tiv ethnic group while the attackers were the Fulani people who are mostly cattle herdsmen, witnesses said.<br /><br />The Tiv, who are mostly farmers, also had some of their houses burnt down by the invaders.<br />Ejike Alaribe, the police spokesman, said the number of people killed in Sunday's violence is 16 but a witness who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity insisted the number could not be less than 45, adding that the country's police is known for reducing casualty figures.<br /><br />The cause of the violence is related to land row between the two ethnic groups. The Fulanis, who are mostly Muslims, seek land for their cattle to graze while the Tivs want to preserve it for farming.<br /><br />Ethnic conflict over land are widespread in northern Nigeria. Most frequently, these occure in the country's north-central state of Plateau where Fulani herdsmen engage in clashes with the Biroms and other ethnic groups.<br /><br />The country has experienced ethnic and religious violence in the last few years, with members of Nigerian radical Islamist gropup Boko Haram waging a bloody war to install an Islamic government and Sharia rule in Africa’s largest oil producing nation.<br /><br />Nigeria, with 150-million people, has both Muslim and Christian population. Boko Haram has been responsible for a wave of sectarian and ethnic attacks in the last few months. A series of coordinated bomb and gun attacks in Kano city on January 20 killed at least 185 people, including an Indian from Gujarat.</p>