At least 20 individuals have been killed by armed assailants in an attack on a village in Benue State, North-Central Nigeria, over the weekend, according to local officials.

The incident occurred on Sunday in the village of Ondona, located within the Gwer West Local Government Area.

Urban Tibor Victor, the head of the local government, reported the casualties in a video shared on social media platform Facebook on Monday.

The video footage depicted three lifeless bodies on the ground, including that of a child.

Anin Siewisi, a spokesperson for the Benue State Police, confirmed that there had been an attack in Gwer West over the weekend, but she reported only four fatalities, among them a police officer who was responding to the incident.

The attack is believed to be part of a broader pattern of violence in the region, which has been affected by the activities of extremist groups, notably Boko Haram.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has conducted a series of violent assaults aimed at establishing its radical interpretation of Islam.

The ongoing conflict, now regarded as the longest-running insurgency in Africa, has led to escalating violence not only in Nigeria but also in neighboring countries in the northern region.

This continuous wave of violence has had significant humanitarian implications, displacing millions and necessitating increased security measures within affected localities.