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Boko Haram attack on village leaves 81 dead in Nigeria

Several residents remain unaccounted for, say officials

Suspected fighters from Boko Haram attacked a village in northeastern Nigeria and left multiple people dead, with the members of the group setting fire to shops and homes during the assault, Al Jazeera reported.

The attack took place on Sunday afternoon.

Local official Bulama Jalaluddeen said that the attack claimed 81 lives. "It has been established that at least 81 people were killed in the attack," Jalaluddeen said.

However, resident Modu Mohammed, who lives in Mafa, said several more residents were missing and estimated the death toll at more than 100. He said some corpses were still in the bush.

However, contrary to the official reports, Mafa resident Modu Mohammed said that several residents remain unaccounted for and estimated the death toll to exceed 100.

Around 150 suspected Boko Haram members armed with rifles attacked Mafa ward. "Around 150 suspected Boko Haram terrorists armed with rifles and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) attacked Mafa ward on more than 50 motorcycles," said Dungus Abdulkarim, a police spokesman in Yobe State where the village is located.

"They killed many people and burnt many shops and houses. We are yet to ascertain the actual number of those killed in the attack," Abdulkarim added, according to Al Jazeera.

According to Abdulkarim, the attack on Mafa ward appeared to be a revenge assault by Boko Haram, retaliating against the local vigilantes who had previously killed two of the group's suspected fighters.

The officials also said that efforts were continuing to confirm the number of people killed in Mafa.

"Fifteen bodies had already been buried by their relatives by the time soldiers reached Mafa for the evacuation of the corpses. In addition to these, some unspecified number of dead victims from nearby villages who were caught up in the attack were taken and buried by their kinsmen before the arrival of the soldiers. Many people are still missing and their whereabouts unknown," local official Jalaluddeen said, Al Jazeera reported.

Yobe bears the brunt of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram and other extremist groups, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over two million people. The militant groups have strengthened alliances with gangs of criminals known as "bandits," who kill and abduct residents and burn homes after looting them, Al Jazeera reported.