At least 33 people were killed in an attack in northwest Kaduna state of Nigeria on Saturday night. The attackers torched more than 40 houses and the witnesses said heavily armed men attacked Runji village in Zangon Kataf district when residents were sleeping and started shooting. They also set fire to the village before security forces intervened.
The head of the district, Francis Sani, said the dead have been buried and survivors are being treated. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but residents say armed groups known locally as bandits are to blame.
Bandits were responsible for a similar attack three days earlier that killed eight people in a nearby village.
Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai called the attack unacceptable and unjustifiable.
State police spokesman Mohammed Jalige told VOA Monday that authorities are investigating but did not comment on casualties