Africa News
At least 50 killed in clashes over land in southern Nigeria
Jan 1, 2012, 11:27 GMT
Johannesburg - At least 50 people have died in clashes over land in southern Nigeria, local media reported on Sunday.
The clashes took place in Ebonyi state late on Saturday, when a group of people from the Ezza community attacked residents of the neighbouring Ezilo community. The two peoples have had ongoing land disputes for several years.
Houses and other property were also damaged in the attacks.
'We will not fold our hands and allow the area to degenerate into chaos again, as government will do its best to ameliorate the victims' sorrows,' Ebonyi state Governor Martin Elechi said, according to the Vanguard newspaper.
The clashes took place just hours after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in four regions in the north-east of the country, after a spate of bombings by Boko Haram.
The Islamist group is being blamed for more than 42 deaths in the past week, including an attack on a church in the capital Abuja on Christmas Day.
Disputes over land are not uncommon in rural Nigeria, where many people are impoverished and survive on subsistence farming.
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