Abuja, Dec 19 (IANS): Over 20 people were killed when bandits attacked villages in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kaduna on Saturday, a local official said Sunday.
Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security affairs in Kaduna, said in a statement that four villages in the state's Giwa local government area came under heavy attacks, as the bandits went on the rampage, shooting at the villagers and setting ablaze houses late Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Aruwan said the state government has immediately directed an urgent assessment of the affected areas or communities toward providing relief, and security agencies will sustain surveillance in the general area.
Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months.