More than 20 people have been killed after armed gunmen attacked several villages in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Nigeria’s north-western Zamfara State.
Local officials told AFP that at least 21 people were killed in the attack, while another official said the death toll had reached 23 across five villages. Three people who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to a hospital in neighbouring Sokoto State.
Residents said the attack began at about 2 p.m. on Wednesday and continued for nearly three hours without intervention from security forces. They also reported that the attackers stole a large number of livestock during the raid.
The attackers, commonly known as “bandits”, have remained a major security threat in north-western and central Nigeria, where they frequently raid communities, abduct residents for ransom and steal cattle.
The criminal gangs are largely driven by financial motives and are separate from the Boko Haram-led insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria, where militants have carried out attacks against both Muslims and Christians.