At least 45 people have been killed by suspected Boko Haram gunmen pretending to be preachers in a village in northeast Nigeria.
The attack happened on Wednesday in Barderi, when insurgents hoodwinked locals into congregating before opening fire on the crowd, residents said.
Itinerant preaching is commonplace in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria and the fake clerics reportedly told villagers that they had come to show them "the righteous path".
Mallam Bunu, who survived the attack, said: "They came to our village... and lied to us that they had come to preach to us and when almost all the villagers had gathered, another set of insurgents emerged from nowhere and opened fire on the congregation before we all scampered for safety."
Another survivor, Kallamu Bukar, said when villagers had gathered another set of insurgents emerged from nowhere and joined those that were disguised as preachers.
"They opened fire on the congregation. The assailants also set ablaze several houses, shops and other personal effects."
The attacks came after Boko Haram gunmen rampaged through four villages in the far-flung Gwoza district in Borno state on Tuesday.
A video image of members of Boko Haram including leader Abubakar Shekau, centre, in May. Photo: AFP / BOKO HARAM
