Gunmen on motorcycles have killed dozens of people in dawn raids across three villages in north-western Nigeria.
Armed men shot dead or cut the throats of their victims, lit homes on fire and abducted an “undetermined” number of people in Niger state, according to local reports seen by the AFP news agency.
The attacks on Saturday morning occurred near the site of a suspected jihadist massacre earlier this month, in which more than 100 people were killed in a similar style of attack.
Armed criminal gangs, known as bandits, have carried out attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria for years, but reports in western and central regions have risen sharply recently.
Bandits swooped on the village of Tunga-Makeri early in the morning.
Wasiu Abiodun, Niger State police spokesperson, told AFP six people in Tunga-Makeri were killed.
“Some houses were also set ablaze, and a yet-to-be ascertained number of persons were abducted,” Abiodun said.
Most of those killed were in nearby Konkoso, the second village that was attacked.
Almost all of the homes were burned and four women were abducted, witnesses told AFP.
After attacking Konkoso the bandits rode to Pissa, set a police station alight and killed one person, according to witness.
Reuters said the death toll across the three villages was about 32, while AFP reported at least 46 killed. Details of other possible attacks in nearby villages remained unclear and reports have noted the toll could rise.
A security report cited by AFP said bandits came on “41 motorcycles, each carrying two or three men”.
Nigeria’s leaders are under pressure to curb violence, with jihadist groups active in the north-west and separatist insurgents based in the country’s south-east.
The US launched Christmas Day strikes targeting Islamist militants in Nigeria’s northern Sokoto state and President Donald Trump warned of further attacks “if they continue to kill Christians”.
Many of the victims of jihadist violence are Muslim, according to organisations monitoring political violence in Nigeria.
