"On 18/04/2020 at about 00:30hrs [23:30 GMT on April 17], bandits in their numbers, armed with AK 47 rifles attacked Kurechi village of Danmusa LGA of Katsina state," police spokesman Gambo Isah said as quoted by the Nigerian Daily Trust newspaper on Sunday.

According to the spokesman, simultaneous attacks were carried out later in the night on several other villages.

"At Kurechin Atai village of Danmusa 14 persons were killed. At Kurechin Giye and Kurechin Dutse villages of Dutsinma LGA of Katsina state bandits killed 4 and 6 persons respectively. And at Makauwachi and Daule villages the hoodlums killed 19 and 4 persons respectively," the police spokesman said.

Law enforcement and Nigeria’s military are involved in an ongoing operation in the area, according to the Daily Trust newspaper.

Since January 2019, over 200 people have been killed in attacks in Katsina State. In February of this year at least 30 people were killed in attacks on two villages in the region.