The attacks on the Plateau communities occured on Tuesday.

The death toll from Tuesday's attack in Fungzai and Kubwat villages in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State has risen to 85, an official has said.

The National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, stated this while speaking to journalists on Wednesday.

Mr Gwankat spoke to journalists after a security meeting at the palace of the Mishkcham Mwaghavul of Mangu, John Hirse.

The police are yet to give the casualty figure of the incident.

Mr Gwankat added that the search for missing persons was still ongoing in the affected communities.

He noted that several communities were attacked simultaneously by suspected herdsmen, leading to killings as well as burning of houses and the destruction of farmlands.

During the meeting, some women protesting the killings besieged the palace of the traditional ruler.

The meeting was attended by the deputy governor of the state, Soni Tyoden, security chiefs, district heads and other government officials.

Mr Hirse, alongside the local government chairman and district heads from the communities, appealed for the deployment of reinforcements to the communities to safeguard citizens.

Meanwhile 57 victims from a community in Mangu were buried on Wednesday amidst tears by relatives and members of the community.

Plateau, in North-central Nigeria has witnessed several cases of attacks on farming communities by armed nomadic herdsmen.

The attacks are usually economic as herdsmen, migrating from the more arid far north seek grazing areas for their cattle.

However the violence often take ethnic and religious dimensions as the herders are often Fulani Muslims while the natives are often Christians.

Thousands of people have been killed or injured in such violence in the past few years.