Fighters of the Nigerian jihadist group "Boko Haram" have killed dozens of people in a midnight attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria, the Associated Press reported, citing information from local authorities, BTA reported.
In Darul Jamal, in the Bama administrative territorial unit, people who had recently returned from a closed camp for internally displaced Nigerians lived, the agency said.
The attack took place on the night of Friday into Saturday, village resident Mohammed Babagana told the AP. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who visited the village last night, told media representatives that the number of dead could be over 60.
"We sympathize with the tragedy of the local residents, whom we have called on not to leave their homes, by creating an organization to enhance security and provide food and other essential products that they have been deprived of", Zulum said.
The head of the Bama local government, Modu Gudja, in turn, said that dozens of houses were burned and over 100 people were forced to leave their homes.
Taivo Adebayo, an expert on "Boko Haram" at the Institute for Security Studies, spoke on the spot with residents of Darul Jamal. He said the killings were carried out by a faction of "Boko Haram" known as "Jamaatu Alis Sunnah Lidawati wal-Jihad".