Abuja, Feb 16 (IANS) At least 66 people were killed on Friday by unidentified gunmen in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, officials said.

The Kaduna state government said in a statement that eight settlements were attacked, Xinhua news agency reported.

The attack took place on the eve of Nigeria’s presidential election.

Twenty two children and 12 women were among the victims.

The state government said the cause of the violence was unclear, and warned against any reprisal attacks. </s> ABUJA (Reuters) - The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria’s Kaduna State has doubled to more than 130 people, the state governor said on Tuesday, adding that the motive appeared to be ethnic.

Nasir el-Rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the gunmen’s motive. The attack last Friday came the day before a presidential election was supposed to be held, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by one week due to logistical challenges.

There was no indication that the attack was related to the election. </s> The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria’s Kaduna State has doubled to more than 130 people, the state governor said on Tuesday, adding that the motive appeared to be ethnic.

Nasir el-Rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the gunmen’s motive. There was no indication that the attack was related to the election.

The attack last Friday came the day before a presidential election was supposed to be held, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by one week due to logistical challenges.

Kaduna is currently a region held by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. It is not alien to such attacks in the past.

In the past few months, a total state of emergency was imposed following deadly attacks that killed a top traditional leader. </s> Abuja, Nigeria - Gunmen have killed more than 60 people during attacks on two communities in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state.

A government statement on Friday, which confirmed the attacks, said security personnel had been "deployed to the area and arrests have been made".

"Security agencies today reported the recovery of 66 bodies that were killed in attacks by criminal elements on various dispersed hamlets in the Maro Gida and Iri axis of Kajuru," Kaduna governor's spokesperson Samuel Aruwan said.

"Among the victims were 22 children and 12 women. Four wounded persons rescued by the security agencies are now receiving medical attention," he added.

The attack has caused panic among residents of the state.

"I hope the security agencies can step up their plan and ensure there are no more killings, especially this election period to reduce the tension," Kaduna resident Abdulkadir Inuwa told Al Jazeera.

The incident comes hours before the presidential and legislative elections on Saturday.

Election boycott

The senior Nigeria researcher of the International Crisis Group, Nnamdi Obasi, told Al Jazeera that the attacks may affect the elections.

"These attacks and the fear of reprisal will certainly affect voter turnout in Kajuru local government area. following similar killings in 2018, they have also heightened long-running tensions in parts of Kaduna state, creating a more combustible atmosphere around the elections," Obasi said.

Security is a major concern before Saturday's vote.

Kaduna has a history of election violence.

In 2011, hundreds were killed in the state during post-election violence after acting President Goodluck Jonathan beat Muhammadu Buhari to the presidency. </s> The Kaduna state government, Friday evening, disclosed that 66 persons were killed by unknown gunmen in Kajuru local government of Kaduna state, less than twenty four hours to the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections.

A statement issued by the spokesman to the governor of Kaduna state, Samuel Aruwan, said already, security agencies are on the trail of the assailants.

The statement however did not provide details about where or how the incidence happened but said among the victims were 22 children and 12 women. </s> The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria has doubled to more than 130, the Kaduna state governor says, adding it appeared a deliberate plan to "wipe out certain communities."

Those killed in last week's attack were mainly from the Fulani ethnic group, who are usually Muslim and have been involved in clashes in recent years with people from the Adara ethnic group, predominantly Christian.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai told reporters on Tuesday police were still investigating the motive for the attack in the Kajuru local government area in the south of the state, and there had been arrests made.

"The more the police dig into this matter, the more it is clear that there was a deliberate plan to wipe out certain communities," El-Rufai said.

Locals said the attack took place on Monday last week, although initial reports suggested it took place later in the week. It was first announced late on Friday - the day before Nigeria was supposed to hold a presidential election, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by a week.

"They invaded our settlement, killed men, women and children and set our houses ablaze," said Usman Kafara, who survived last week's attack.

"The Adaras were on reprisal mission over the killings of 11 of their people."

Some 55 people were killed in October during what residents said were clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Kasuwan Magani area of Kajuru - the same local government area in which last week's attack took place.

Security has become a key campaign issue ahead of the presidential election in which President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president, are the leading contenders. </s> Authorities in Nigeria's Kaduna state are reporting at least 66 deaths in a wave of violence just before the country's presidential election.

Samuel Aruwan, a spokesperson for Kaduna state's governor, said on Friday that the victims include 22 children.

He blamed a "criminal element" for the deaths, which have taken place this week, in the Kajuru local government area.

One resident blamed the killings on fighting between Christian farmers and Fulani Muslim herdsmen.

Deadly clashes between the two communities have erupted in recent years in southern Kaduna as the groups compete for land and water.

Nigerian voters are headed to the polls Saturday amid concerns about violence in many parts of the country.

Also Read: Suspected Boko Haram attack 'kills many' before Nigeria polls </s> ABUJA: The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria has doubled to more than 130, the Kaduna state governor said on Tuesday, adding it appeared to have been a deliberate plan to “wipe out certain communities.” Governor Nasir el-Rufai did not elaborate on what he meant. Those killed in last week’s attack were mainly from the Fulani ethnic group, who have been involved in clashes in recent years with people from the Adara ethnic group.

 El-Rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the motive for the attack in the Kajuru local government area in the south of the state, and there had been arrests. He did not say how many people had been detained

 “The more the police dig into this matter, the more it is clear that there was a deliberate plan to wipe out certain communities,” he said, adding that the latest report on the incident showed more than 130 people had been killed.

 Locals said the attack took place on Monday last week, although initial reports suggested it took place later in the week. It was first announced late on Friday — the day before Nigeria was supposed to hold a presidential election, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by a week, citing logistical challenges.

 Local residents said last week that the attack was a reprisal for violence in October. — Reuters </s> ABUJA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria has doubled to more than 130, the Kaduna state governor said on Tuesday, adding it appeared to have been a deliberate plan to "wipe out certain communities."

Governor Nasir el-Rufai did not elaborate on what he meant. Those killed in last week's attack were mainly from the Fulani ethnic group, who are usually Muslim and have been involved in clashes in recent years with people from the Adara ethnic group, who are predominantly Christian.

El-Rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the motive for the attack in the Kajuru local government area in the south of the state, and there had been arrests. He did not say how many people had been detained

"The more the police dig into this matter, the more it is clear that there was a deliberate plan to wipe out certain communities," he said, adding that the latest report on the incident showed more than 130 people had been killed.

Locals said the attack took place on Monday last week, although initial reports suggested it took place later in the week. It was first announced late on Friday - the day before Nigeria was supposed to hold a presidential election, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by a week, citing logistical challenges.

Local residents said last week that the attack was a reprisal for violence in October.

"They invaded our settlement, killed men, women and children and set our houses ablaze," said Usman Kafara, who survived last week's attack. "The Adaras were on reprisal mission over the killings of 11 of their people."

Some 55 people were killed in October during what residents said were clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Kasuwan Magani area of Kajuru - the same local government area in which last week's attack took place.

Security has become a key campaign issue ahead of the presidential election in which President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president, are the leading contenders.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with around 190 million inhabitants, is split roughly equally between Christians and Muslims, and comprises around 250 different ethnic groups that mostly co-exist peacefully.

However, hundreds of people were killed last year in outbreaks of violence over land use and resources in central states slightly to the south of Kaduna. (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Additional reporting by Garba Muhammad in Kaduna and Ardo Hazzad in Bauchi Writing by Aaron Ross and James Macharia Editing by Alexis Akwagyiram, Frances Kerry and Leslie Adler)
66 people were killed by gunmen in Nigeria's Kaduna State including 34 victims being either women or children. The attack happened one day before the scheduled election before it was delayed another week.