Edited by: Kieran Burke

Armed men killed at least 20 people in Nigeria's northwestern Niger state, residents and humanitarian reports said, with several more abducted.

The attack occurred in Niger's Shiroro district about 250 kilometers (155 miles) or a four-hour drive from the capital, Abuja. Kidnapping gangs and Islamist militants are active in the area.

What do we know about the Shiroro attack?

Gunmen invaded the villages of Bagna and Erena on Tuesday, Niger state police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said.

Abiodun put the death toll at three: two community guards and a driver. But several local sources, including residents, a health facility and a community organizing group, reported to the media the far higher death toll of 20.

Apart from the kidnappings, the attackers also destroyed homes, causing many to flee to neighboring villages. Residents said the attckers operated for several hours, overwhelming security forces.

"They came on motorbikes and began shooting. It was a surprise attack, because it was in the early hours of the morning," the Associated Press news agency quoted Jibrin Isah, who lives in Erena, as saying.

At least 40 killed in militant attacks since Sunday, locals say

Africa's most populous country has for years battled an insurgency in its Muslim-majority north.

Local clergy told the French AFP news agency on Wednesday that over 40 people were killed across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week alone, starting late on Sunday.

At least nine villages in Kebbi and Niger states were affected.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but residents and police blamed Mahmuda, a local jihadist group who broke away from Boko Haram and have since allied with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI).

Local clergies told AFP the group attacked its victims "indiscriminately."

"They killed everybody in sight, they killed Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers," a Christian leader told AFP.

(Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.)