Maiduguri, Nigeria: It is estimated that 200 people or more have been killed in the villages in the northwestern state of Zamforara during a deadly counter-attack with armed bandits following a military air strike in their hiding place on Saturday.
Residents gained access to villages on Saturday after the military captured the community to arrange mass funerals, they told Reuters.
The state government said 58 people had been killed during the attack.
Ummaru Makeri, a resident who lost his wife and three children during the attack, said that around 154 people were buried including several interviews killed.
Residents said the total death toll at least 200.
Reuters reported on Friday that at least 30 people had been killed in the regional government area in Zamforara, when more than 300 armed bandits on motorbikes stormed eight villages and began shooting sporadically on Tuesday.
The military said it had carried out airstrikes early on Monday on targets in Gusami forests and West Tsamre Village in the state of Zamforara, killing more than 100 bandits including their two leaders, following intelligence reports.
A resident who refused to be identified told Reuters attacks on villages can be associated with military attacks.
There was a series of attacks at Northwest Nigeria, who had seen a sharp increase in the abduction of mass and other violent crimes since the end of 2020 as the government struggled to defend the law and order.
In a separate incident, 30 students who were kidnapped from their college in the state of Nigeria Northwestern Kebbi were released on Saturday, a spokesman for the Governor of Kebbi said, without giving details.
President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement on a Military Saturday had acquired more equipment to track and eliminate the criminal gang which had subjected people to rule terror, including the illegal coercion of taxes on the siege.
“The latest attack on people who are innocent by bandits is a desperate action by mass killers, now with non-stop pressure from our military forces,” said Buhari.
Buhari added that the government would not depend on its military operations to get rid of bandits.