Gunmen kill 12 in northwestern Nigeria village attack

ABUJA, Nigeria — Gunmen attacked Lajince village in Sokoto State late Saturday, killing at least 12 people and kidnapping women and children, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters. The assault began at around 11 p.m. on Saturday and continued until 3 a.m. on Sunday, the witnesses said. Residents said six members of the same family were burned to death after the attackers set their home on fire. A villager named Owal Hasan told the news agency that the gunmen also wounded four people and stole a large number of cattle before withdrawing from the area. Sokoto State Police spokesman Ahmed Rufai said an investigation had been launched and that further details would be released later. The attack followed the killing of at least 24 farmers in neighboring Zamfara State within the past week. Armed gangs regularly raid villages across the wider region, taking hostages for ransom and stealing livestock, according to Reuters reporting.