According to residents of two of the affected villages, the attacks were in retaliation for their refusal to pay “protection money” to the bandits.
The region is regularly affected by violence, including clashes between farmers over grazing and water rights. The conflict has created gangs of so-called bandits, mostly made up of herdsmen, who carry out deadly raids on villages to steal livestock and burn homes.
The problems are one of the main security challenges for President Bola Tinubu, who in February won an election marred by opposition allegations of vote rigging.
During his presidential campaign, Tinubu promised to “accelerate the reforms started” during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.