A gang
dedicated to the theft of cattle
killed 66 people in raids in seven towns in northwestern Nigeria, police said Saturday.
"We have established that 66 people were killed in the attacks," which occurred on Thursday, when dozens of men on motorcycles attacked communities in the Danko Wasagu district, said
Nafiu Abubakar, a
spokesman for the Kebbi state police.
"The investigation is still underway to determine
the extent of the destruction caused
by the bandits and to search for more bodies," he added.
Policemen traveled to the area to
prevent further attacks,
while residents of the affected communities fled their homes, Abubakar said.
In April, nine policemen were killed in that area in a shootout with gunmen who
invaded a town
in the neighboring Sakaba district to steal cattle.
Criminal gangs dedicated to cattle theft operate in northwestern and central Nigeria,
attacking hamlets and killing and kidnapping villagers
for ransom after looting and burning houses.
The gangs are not operating for political reasons, but the authorities fear that they are being
infiltrated by jihadists
from northeastern Nigeria, where they have been an insurgency for 12 years seeking to establish an Islamic state.
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