At least 18 people have been killed in renewed communal violence linked to a land dispute in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, with 15 victims burnt to death after attackers set fire to a house, police said on Thursday.

The latest attack occurred late on Tuesday at Angwan-Baago, near Godoro village in Rafi Local Government Area, where assailants allegedly locked victims inside a two-bedroom house before setting it ablaze.

The Niger State Police Command said the attack left 15 people dead, while another person was killed elsewhere, raising the death toll from the violence to 18.

Police said the crisis began on June 29 when suspected gunmen shot dead 25-year-old Ibrahim Musa in Godoro village.

According to the police, the killing triggered a reprisal attack in which members of a local vigilante group, popularly known as Yansakai, allegedly blocked a road and killed 28-year-old Bashir Mazi.

Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said preliminary investigations indicated that the attacks were connected to a long-running land dispute between communities in the area.

“Investigation is ongoing to identify the perpetrators of this act, while a reconciliation committee headed by the local government council officials are working with the security agencies towards addressing the crisis,” Abiodun said.

Providing an update, the police spokesperson said authorities received reports at about 10:00 pm on July 1 that 15 people had been burnt to death in a two-bedroom house at Angwan-Baago.

“One other person was also killed at another location, bringing the number of deaths to eighteen,” he said.

Abiodun said joint police and military patrols had been deployed to the affected communities, while a reconciliation committee involving local government officials and security agencies was working to prevent further violence.

A community source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, alleged that the conflict involved members of the Fulani and Kamuku communities. The source said several houses were destroyed during the attacks and that women and children were among those affected.

The chairman of Rafi Local Government Area, Ayuba Katako, confirmed the outbreak of violence but declined to state the number of casualties.

“Security agents have been drafted to halt the situation. No reasonable government will fold its hands and allow its people to be killed without stamping its authority to end the crisis,” Katako said.