At least 20 killed in new Nigeria violence: lawmaker

A lawmaker representing Borgu Federal Constituency, Jafar Muhammad, confirmed the clashes, saying there were 20 dead and calling for the deployment of security forces.

Muhammad described said the violence involved several ethnic groups in the region.

"More than 20 people were killed on Friday, and these killings are believed to have been carried out by local militias," he said. "We need heavily armed security forces to bring the situation under control."

A resident reached by AFP said the fighting was between Fulani and Kambari communities.

The recruitment of Fulani by jihadist groups has triggered deadly reprisals, carried out by government forces and militias, with Fulani civilians ofte the victims.

Niger State is in a vast agricultural area of central and northwest Nigeria which, for years, has been terrorised by gangs of cattle rustlers and kidnappers who attack communities, kill residents and loot homes.

In recent years, jihadist groups waging a 17-year insurgency in the northeast of the country have also established a presence in Niger State often working with the gangs.

In May, a militia group operating alongside the army killed around 40 Fulani herders, accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru, near the area where Friday's clashes took place.

Such reprisals have driven some Fulani to join jihadist groups for their own safety, experts say.