Nigerian army told to end attacks

Families have fled their homes after the attacks

President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has ordered the immediate cessation of army hostilities in the central state of Benue, says a top official.

Villagers accuse soldiers of killing more than 200 civilians in three days of violence in what appears to be revenge attacks after the killing of 19 soldiers by a local militia two weeks ago.

Questions will now be asked why he (the president) took three days to give the orders despite clear evidence of what was taking place

BBC Nigeria correspondent Dan Isaacs

State Governor George Makume on Thursday said that Mr Obasanjo had also told him that although troops had been given orders to enter the state, the actions of the past few days had not been authorised.

The Nigerian army have denied involvement in the violence.

More unrest

The BBC's Dan Isaacs who is in the area said that there was further unrest in the city of Makurdi overnight despite an army curfew and a heavy military presence on the streets.

The Red Cross says at least 10 bodies have been seen lying on the streets there.

Our correspondent says these attacks by the military have shocked Nigerians with their ferocity.

He says they brings back haunting memories of a similar onslaught by the army in the town of Odi in the Niger delta two years ago, when the army killed civilians and levelled the town after soldiers were abducted and killed there.

Charred bodies

The state governor said that the army had attacked at least seven settlements.

Our correspondent who has also visited Zaki Biam, the town where the abducted soldiers were found hacked to death, said it has been largely destroyed by army shelling.

He said: "There is not a single building here that has not been gutted by fire started by the army".

"The area is largely deserted, many bodies are still lying in the streets," he added.

A local television crew visited the scene shortly afterwards and filmed graphic pictures of charred bodies lying in the streets.

Students were out on the streets protesting the violence

There is also compelling evidence that people in the villages of Gbeji, Anyin and Iorja were rounded up, shot and their bodies subsequently set alight.

Burning barricades

Attacks were also reported in the villages of Vaase and Tseadoor.

Angered by the soldiers' action, university students took to the streets of Makurdi on Wednesday, burning tyre barricades.

Our correspondent said that now that the president has ordered the ending of army hostilities in Benue, questions will undoubtedly be asked about why it took him three days to issue the order, despite clear evidence of what was taking place.