27 killed in village robberies in north Nigeria
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A local government official says armed robbers in north Nigeria killed 27 people while attacking villages preparing for a local market day.
Ibrahim Sidi, an official with the Maru local government in Zamfara state, said he and other officials counted the dead after Monday's attack.
Talatu Mai Tasshi, a woman who escaped the violence, said she hid inside of empty sacks as the gunmen stalked other people preparing to sell their goods.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police said they had begun an investigation into the attacks.
There have been several major attacks in the state, a rural, arid land that includes part of Nigeria's northern border with Niger. Police stations remain few and far between in the rural lands.