20 killed in Nigerian attacks

At least 20 people were killed in attacks launched by gunmen in two Nigerian villages, local media reported Wednesday citing witnesses and security sources.

Early Wednesday, unidentified gunmen attacked Wala Village, about 130 km from Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, and killed about 18 people, Xinhua quoted a local daily as saying.

A security officer, who declined to be mentioned, also confirmed the attack, saying the Department of State Security (DSS) had been officially informed of the incident.

In a separate incident, gunmen attacked Sabon-Kasuawa, a village in Hawul local government area of the same state, and left two killed, the security source said late Tuesday.

"They simply walked right into the palace of the monarch and shot him in his bedroom. And on their way out, they also shot at his guard before fleeing away into the dark night," said Hyeidi Bwala, a politician in the local government district who witnessed the incident.