Minna (Nigeria)

At least 30 villagers have been killed while several others were abducted by gunmen who raided a village in northern Nigeria's Niger state, police said Sunday, the latest in a cycle of deadly violence in the conflict-hit region.

The gunmen stormed the Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger state's Borgu local government area on Saturday evening and opened fire on residents. They also razed down the local market and several houses, Niger state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.

At least two residents put the death toll at 37 and said it could be much higher, as some people remained missing as of Sunday. Residents also said security forces are yet to arrive in the area, contradicting the police's claim that they have deployed officers to search for those kidnapped.

Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where dozens of rogue gangs seeking control often target remote communities with limited security and government presence.

Saturday's attack in Kasuwan-Daji village happened near the Papiri community, where more than 300 schoolchildren and their teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in November.

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The attackers who raided Kasuwan-Daji arrived from the National Park Forest along Kabe district, according to the police, pointing to a usual trend where abandoned expansive forest reserves act as hideouts for armed gangs.