Gunmen on Thursday killed 19 people in a raid on a rural community in central Nigeria night, police said Friday.

The assailants, yet unidentified, attacked the village of Tawari in Kogi State, 100 kilometres south of the federal capital Abuja, and then set fire to the houses.

“They burned houses, a school, a church and the residence of the traditional chief,” local police spokesman William Aya told AFP.


“Nineteen people were killed,” he added.

Aya said the motive for the attack and the identity of the assailants remained unclear.

“We have commenced the investigation and it will reveal what happened,” he said.

Gunmen Kill 19 in Central #Nigeria Attack, Police Say https://t.co/YcZKHt3FmE

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A local security official told AFP that the killing was an act of revenge by a rival community, amid tensions in the region, but no official confirmation has been given and the reasons for the violence remain unclear.