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Officials in northwestern Nigeria announced the discovery of the bodies of 66 people, including 22 children and 12 women, killed by "criminal elements".
The victims were found in eight villages in the Kujuru area of Kaduna state, the state government said.
Security forces carried out arrests, said state governor Nasir El-Rufai.
He called on communities to avoid retaliatory attacks, but did not identify the suspects or explain the reasons for the killings.
Four injured people have been rescued by security forces and are receiving medical treatment, authorities said.
The discovery was reported Friday – just one day before the country goes to the polls for an election.
President Muhammadu Buhari, 76, is looking for a new mandate as a returning officer.
Tomi Oladipo, BBC security correspondent for Africa, said problems may have started in the region earlier this week, but the news may have been longer to filter because of the lack of news. distance from the colonies involved.
The local Kaduna government urged residents to "defend peace and harmony" and "flee violence" for Saturday's vote.
"The killings are under investigation and residents are badured that the accused will be prosecuted," a state government statement said.
Police have not yet confirmed details of the reasons for the killings or information about the victims.
However. According to the AFP news agency, these deaths may have been caused by religious clashes.
Maisamari Dio, a leader of the Christian ethnic Adara community, claimed that Muslims of Peul ethnic origin allegedly attacked a village on Sunday.
Since then, he says, there have been retaliatory attacks.
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"The people found by the Kaduna state government today were probably people killed (by the Fulani) and some Adara, a mix, but I'm not sure of the scale" , he told the news agency.
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