At least 30 people are said to have been killed in northwestern Nigeria as a result of armed gang attacks.
Over the weekend, gunmen clashed with volunteers who had joined self-defense groups to protect villages in Katsina state.
After villagers were killed in the Ungwan Wakili community in neighboring Kaduna state, authorities imposed an overnight curfew.
Despite the heavy deployment of security forces, criminal gang attacks have remained a major threat in the northwest.
The Nigerian government has been heavily chastised for failing to put an end to the insecurity.
