Bandits kill 47 people in north of Nigeria

Attackers were thought to be members of criminal gangs specialising in cattle theft and kidnapping for ransom

A spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, confirmed the attack in a statement condemning the gunmen as "bandits". Reuters

Bandits on 150 motorbikes killed 47 people in co-ordinated attacks on farming villages in Katsina state, northern Nigeria, the president's office said on Sunday.

The raiders launched pre-dawn attacks on villages in the Dutsenma, Danmusa and Safana districts, Katsina state police spokesman Gambo Isah said.

A spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed the attack, condemning the gunmen as "bandits".

Mr Isah said members of the security forces, including soldiers and policemen, were sent to the area on Sunday.

The bandits were thought to be members of criminal gangs specialising in cattle theft and kidnapping for ransom in the area.

Villagers had put up stiff resistance fighting off an earlier attack, police said, but the gang returned on motorbikes, riding in twos and threes.

They went on a shooting spree in the villages, setting fire to homes, residents had told police.

Katsina is the president's home state.

Vowing to deal with such attacks with "decisive force", Mr Buhari said he would not tolerate "large-scale killing of innocent people by bandits".

Rural communities in Katsina state have regularly been targeted by these armed gangs.

The gangs maintain camps in Rugu forest, which straddles Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states.

From there, they launch attacks across all four.

In February, 30 people were killed when a gang of cattle thieves raided Tsauwa and Dankar villages in Katsina state's Batsari district.