Dozens have been killed in two attacks by armed gangs in northeastern Nigeria, a governor and villagers reported, quoted by Agence France-Presse and BTA.
The governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas, said in a statement that according to preliminary data "dozens of people have lost their lives and property" in the Karim Lamido area. He did not give an exact figure, but residents of the villages of Munga and Magani said the death toll was close to 30.
"It was midnight, I heard gunshots, I woke up my brother and other people in the neighborhood," said Moses Kefas, a resident of Magani. "After the gunmen left, we returned and saw 16 bodies in the village".
Andrew John, a resident of Munga, reported seeing the bodies of about ten people killed in his village.
The area has recently been attacked by armed gangs. They attack villages, kill or kidnap people for ransom and burn houses after looting them, especially in the northwest of the country. Yesterday's killings are the latest in a wave of deadly violence that has gripped northeastern Nigeria in recent weeks as jihadists have stepped up their attacks, AFP notes.