Gunmen riding motorcycles attacked a mining community in north-central Nigeria, killing about 40 people, firing at residents and setting houses on fire, the local government said Tuesday.
The attack late Monday in Wase district of Plateau state was the latest violence in an area that has long been the epicenter of disputes over resources and outbreaks of inter-communal clashes.
Plateau state information commissioner Musa Ibrahim Ashomes told AFP by telephone that armed men attacked the Zurak community, opening fire sporadically and setting fire to houses.
“About 40 people have been confirmed dead as of now. Zurak is a popular mining community,” he said.