According to police in northern Nigeria, armed men killed 30 people during raids on six villages over the weekend.
Residents from two villages said the attacks in Sokoto state were retaliation for refusing to pay bandits protection money.
According to one witness who lives in the Gwadabawa district, the coordinated attacks occurred after evening prayers in two villages at the same time.
“After killing them, they set fire to their corpses and those of their animals, ensuring that the majority of them were burnt beyond recognition,” the witness continued.
The latest attacks come just a week after Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s new president, took the oath of office and promised reforms to address the country’s rampant insecurity.
Mr. Tinubu said at a later meeting of security chiefs that better coordination, consultation, and timely reporting were all required to improve the way security agencies worked together.
