Police say at least 18 people have been killed in clashes related to a land dispute in north-central Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- At least 18 people have been killed in protracted clashes related to a land dispute this week in the north-central region of Nigeria, police said Thursday.

The killings occurred in the Rafi area of Niger State between Monday and Wednesday and involved gun attacks and arson, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.

Abiodun said two people were killed on Monday, setting off violence on Wednesday in which 15 people were burned to death in a house, and another person was killed at a different place. He added that the violence was linked to “a lingering land dispute between two tribes.”

“A reconciliation committee headed by the local government council officials are working with the security agencies toward addressing the crisis, as joint police and military patrols have been deployed to the area to restore peace,” the spokesperson said.

Communal clashes over land resources are common in some parts of Africa’s most populous country.

Niger state is also a hot spot for gunmen who kidnap for ransom and impose taxes on farming communities.

The attack comes just days after thirty-six students were kidnapped in the northeast of the country.

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