Gunmen have reportedly killed more than 40 people in an attack on a mining community in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, local media reported Tuesday.
Residents said the attack happened late Monday in the remote village of Zurak in the Bashar district of Wase local government area, according to a report by The Daily Trust publication.
Sahpi’i Sambo, a youth leader in the area said the gunmen riding on motorcycles arrived in the community at about 5:00 p.m. local time and started shooting sporadically.
Sambo said more than 40 people were killed and several others injured. He said residents fled to neighboring communities for safety.
The Nigerian army is yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. Attacks by armed men and kidnappings are common in Nigeria where incidents of inter-communal clashes are also rife.