herder

Banditry mainly grew out of land conflicts between farmers and herders.

In a separate incident, two herders who had been kidnapped four days earlier were "found dead a few kilometres from the town", the source said.

Included in its list of perpetrators are Islamist militant groups like Boko Haram but also Fulani herders.

Central Nigeria sees violence between Fulani Muslim herders and mostly Christian farmers, though experts say the conflicts are sparked by dwindling land and resources rather than religious differences.

In central Nigeria, there are also frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.