Scores dead in Boko Haram 'ambush' in Nigeria

As many as 87 people have been killed in an attack by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's restive northeastern Borno state, local officials said.

Disguised in military uniforms, the militants set up checkpoints outside the town of Benisheik and shot dead those trying to flee, reported BBC Friday citing witnesses. They also razed dozens of buildings in Tuesday's attack.

On Thursday, Borno state governor Kashim Shettima visited the scene, and described the killings as "barbaric and un-Islamic".

Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state across Nigeria, has waged a deadly insurgency since 2009.