ABUJA -- At least 27 people were killed in an explosion in the central Nigerian state of Nasarawa on Tuesday night, local police confirmed on Thursday.

"So far, 27 bodies have been recovered following the explosion. Security agencies are combing the general area for more bodies," said Ramhan Nansel, a police spokesperson in Nasarawa.

All the victims were nomadic herdsmen settling in Rukubi, a community linking Nasarawa and the neighboring Benue State, the spokesperson said.

Nansel told Xinhua that police and sister security agencies in the state have carried out investigation to unravel the circumstances leading to the explosion.

On Wednesday, Nasarawa governor Abdullahi Sule described the incident as "unfortunate" while addressing local media in Lafia, the state capital.

Sule vowed to ensure those behind the explosion were apprehended and made to face the law.