Death toll in gunmen attack in NW Nigeria rises to 43 - China.org.cn

The death toll from an attack by gunmen on a town in northwest Nigeria's Sokoto state has risen to 43 as more bodies have been discovered, a Nigerian official said on Monday.

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, governor of the Sokoto state, said in an updated statement on Monday evening that a group of bandits attacked on Sunday night the Goronyo town, the headquarters of the Goronyo local government area in the state, killing at least 43 people.

In an earlier statement in the day, the governor put the figure at about 30 following the gunmen attack.

"We just finished a meeting with some stakeholders and I have confirmed that we unfortunately lost 43 people to that incident," Tambuwal said in the updated statement.

The governor called for the presence of more security forces in the state and the deployment of more resources to deal with the security challenges.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement on Monday condemned the deadly attack by gunmen in the Sokoto state, saying the days of those responsible for the dastardly act are "numbered".

While calling on citizens to be patient, as the military strategizes on how to deliver the crushing blow to the bandits, the president said he believes the bandits are living in "the fool's paradise of invincibility".

He said the bandits are currently under desperate pressure because of the intense and sustained air and ground operations against them in their hideouts by Nigerian security forces.

There have been a series of gunmen's attacks in Nigeria in recent months, leading to deaths and kidnappings.