"A motorized armed group" staged the attack in the Gubio area of Borno State over five hours Tuesday, killing some of the victims by setting them ablaze in their own homes, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Many were shot as they tried to escape.

 

Preliminary reports said funerals for the victims were targeted by gunmen Wednesday, OCHA said.

 

"Vigilantes and local hunters were deployed to protect the town and nearby areas, in support of military action, in response to persistent and escalating levels of violence by armed groups active in Nigeria's northeast," the office said.

 

The latest attacks are the deadliest in north-central Borno State since July 2019, OCHA said.

 

Gubio is about 80 km from Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.