Local residents in the village of Nigerian State of Zamfara in the northwestern part of the country have told reporters that, cattle rustlers attack has left 48 people dead in the village.

The attack happened in the village of Kizara which is part of a remote area in Zamfara State in early hours on Wednesday.

Cattle rustlers are armed bandits who seize cattle belonging to other people by force. The practice is common in Nigeria especially in the northern states where cattle rearing is predominant.

Two successive attacks by Boko Haram in 3 days have left about 20 people dead, mostly students, in the northeastern States of Damaturu and Maiduguri respectively.

But this latest attack is not in any way link to Boko Haram but armed bandits operating as cattle rustlers.

The attack is said to be linked to an on-going row involving cattle thieves in the area as local residents said similar attacks happened last year in the area.

Zamfara State government spokesman, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji told reporters that the attackers arrived before dawn, riding motorbikes and climbed a hill overlooking the village and took position before opening fire indiscriminately on the village.

He said the attackers thereof, carried out house-to-house attacks on local residents accusing the residents of disturbing their peace in the area.

“There was an attack by armed bandits early Wednesday on Kizara village where 48 residents were killed in apparent targeted killings by cattle rustlers that have been terrorizing the state for some time now,” Mr. Magaji said.

“They later moved house to house, telling residents that they were looking for members of local vigilante [groups] whom they said had been disturbing them’’, he further said.

Mr. Magaji also added that prominent among those killed include the local chief, the chief imam and the head of a vigilante group in the village. Virtually all the dead are Muslims.

Nigeria is currently battling an insurgency from Boko Haram militancy as the Nigerian military is pursuing the militants in 3 northern states.

Two successive attacks by Boko Haram in 3 days have left about 20 people dead, mostly students in the northeastern States of Damaturu and Maiduguri respectively.

President Goodluck Jonathan had wanted to grant an amnesty to Boko Haram by setting up a committee to look into the affairs on how a peaceful dialogue can be achieved, but the group refused to lay down their arms compelling the President to resort to military action against them.

Boko Haram is believed to have carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, saying it wants to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria.

These latest attacks have left the security of Nigeria especially the northern part very volatile. The Nigerian Federal Government has not commented on the recent series of killings in the country.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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