Survivors recount terror of Nigeria massacre where people were burned inside houses

First, the jihadists sent a letter saying they were coming to the village to preach, said Nigerian chief Umar Bio Salihu.

When no one attended, they went on a rampage, killing people and torching houses, he said.

Details were still emerging from the attack, but it was one of the country’s deadliest in recent months. According to the Red Cross, the death toll stood at 162 people, and the search for bodies was ongoing.

Badly shaken, Salihu recounted the night of terror he survived as the attackers killed two of his sons and kidnapped his wife and three daughters.

Around 5pm, the gunmen “just came in and started shooting”, the 53-year-old chief told Agence France-Presse on Thursday, clutching his Muslim prayer beads in his hand.