Several villages just outside of the city were attacked simultaneously overnight, said witnesses.

The attack happened before dawn on Sunday morning when gangs of men descended on several communities, centred on the village of Dogo-Nahawa, and attacked people with machetes, reports say.

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has put security forces in central Nigeria on red alert, said his office in a recent statement.

Analysts say the attack seems to be in reprisal for the clashes between Christians and Muslims in January, which killed at least 200 people and displaced thousands of others.