At least 154 people have been killed in gun attacks in various villages in the central Nigerian state of Plateau. About 4,600 people have fled their homes for fear of further attacks. Last Sunday, a group of gunmen on motorcycles attacked the homes and businesses of the villagers.

Qatar-based Al-Jazeera reports that a group of gunmen on motorcycles went to the villages on that day. People are being fired indiscriminately. Destroyed their homes and businesses. Homes and shops were set on fire, local officials said. And those who were trying to escape or hide elsewhere were shot by gunmen. A few days after the attack, 154 people were confirmed dead.

“We have confirmed 154 deaths so far,” said Yau Abubakar, a senior councilor in the state’s Gargar district. There are corpses found in the bushes. The death toll is three times higher than initially estimated.

Abu Bakr said that the work of mass burial of the bodies is going on. He said troops had been deployed in the area to catch the gunmen after the attack.

Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed told reporters that armed criminal gangs and fighters from the extremist armed group Boko Haram were responsible for the attack. The information minister said that what is happening now is that bandits (criminal gangs responsible for the attack) and Boko Haram insurgents have joined hands to commit these crimes.