Armed gangs, known locally as "bandits," are a constant threat in northwestern and central Nigeria. They typically raid villages, steal livestock and kidnap residents for ransom.
More than 20 people were killed after gunmen attacked several villages in Talata Mafara in Nigeria's northern Zamfara state on Wednesday.
Nasiru Lauwali, a local councilor representing the Sauna district, told AFP that 21 people had been killed.
Meanwhile, Sauna district secretary Alhaji Shehu Garba said 23 people had been killed across five villages.
Three others wounded by gunfire were transferred to a hospital in neighboring Sokoto state.
Bandits remain a threat in Nigeria
The attacks reflect a surge in violence as armed gangs continue raiding villages in northwest and central Nigeria.
Nigeria’s ‘banditry’ crisis originated in conflict over land and water rights between herders and farmers but has morphed into…
Gunmen raid Nigerian village, killing one man, abducting 18 women and children in Zamfara state.
KANO: The Nigerian military killed more than 100 members of a criminal gang in an air and ground raid over the weekend, according…
The air force says it targeted more than 400 gunmen in a forest as they were planning a village raid.
They were put to death despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC.
