Armed assailants have killed 53 people in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state, according to police and local residents, the latest violence to hit the restive region.

Iran Press/Africa: Many motorcycle-riding gunmen known locally as bandits on Thursday through Friday raided the villages of Kadawa, Kwata, Maduba, Ganda Samu, Saulawa and Askawa in the Zurmi district, AFP news agency cited the sources as saying on Saturday.

The gang shot residents attacked farmers in their fields and pursued others who fled to escape the assaults.

Nigeria has seen bloody attacks in recent years. The attacks began in the north of the country and then spread to other parts of Nigeria.

The Boko Haram terrorist group took up arms in 2009 with the aim of controlling northern Nigeria and expanded its attacks to Niger, Chad and northern Cameroon, too. 219