While federal forces have secured the north eastern parts of the country from insurgents, armed attacks are popping up in the North West.
More than 32 persons have been reported killed after heavily armed gunmen attacked a village in Zamfara State in the early hours of Tuesday.

Reports say the gunmen numbering over 100 on motorcycles hit Kizara village in Tsafe Local Government Area.

According to an eyewitness, the gunmen first opened fire from a hill overlooking the village before setting several houses and shops on fire.

The gunmen then went from house to house pretending to be residents of the village shouting for help, and then shot the people as they came out.

The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, Usman Gwary, who visited the village amid tight security, told journalists that he had mobilised his men to search for the fleeing gunmen.

While he confirmed the number of those killed to be 32, the villagers on the other hand claimed that 58 persons had lost their lives.

The development came just as residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said suspected members of Boko Haram on Monday killed 22 persons in separate attacks. They said the terrorists were on a revenge mission against youth vigilante groups that have been hunting them.

According to the residents, the gunmen attacked a secondary school, Ansarudeen Private School, Maiduguri at about 3pm, and opened fire on students writing their final year exams. Nine students were killed, while several others were seriously injured in the attack.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after gunmen attacked a school in neighbouring Yobe State, killing seven students and two teachers. Borno and Yobe, alongside Adamawa, are under emergency rule with a massive deployment of soldiers to the states.