At least 35 dead as bandits raid Nigerian village

‍Bandits have killed at least 35 people as ​they stormed through a remote village ⁠in central Nigeria's Kwara state, setting fire to buildings and shops, a state politician says.

It was ‌the deadliest ​assault recorded this year in ‍the district bordering Niger state, an area increasingly targeted by armed gangs.

Villagers fled into surrounding bushland as the gunmen attacked ​Woro, Saidu Baba ‌Ahmed told Reuters.

Several people were still ​missing on Wednesday morning, he said.

Banditry ‍and armed attacks on rural communities have surged across northwest and ​north-central ​Nigeria in ​recent years as gangs ​raid villages, kidnap residents and loot livestock.

Kwara has reported a rise in attacks near the border with Niger state.