At least 81 people were killed and others went missing in an attack that occurred in the village of Mafa in northeastern Nigeria, local authorities reported on Tuesday, accusing the Boko Haram group of carrying it out.

The spokesperson for the Yobe State police, Abdulkareem Dongos, stated that "around 150 terrorists suspected to be from Boko Haram, armed with rifles and RPGs, attacked the village of Mafa on over fifty motorcycles around 4:00 PM on Sunday," according to the French news agency AFP.

Dongos noted that the gunmen "killed many people and burned many shops and houses; we are still unsure of the actual number of those killed in the attack," explaining that the motive may be revenge "for the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists by village guards."

For his part, the spokesperson for the local government in Tarmuwa, where Mafa is located, reported "the deaths of no less than 81 people."

He indicated that "15 bodies were buried by relatives before the soldiers arrived in Mafa to transport the corpses."

He added that "an unspecified number of deceased victims from a neighboring village, who were caught off guard by the attack, were transported and buried by their relatives before the soldiers arrived," clarifying that "many people are still missing and their whereabouts are unknown."

Armed Rebellion

Boko Haram and other extremist groups have been waging an armed rebellion for nearly 15 years in northeastern Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of more than 40,000 people.

For years, northwestern and central Nigeria have witnessed the activity of criminal gangs attacking villages, killing and kidnapping residents, and burning homes after looting them.

However, officials and analysts say that extremists in northeastern Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, have recently forged strong ties with bandits in Niger State, which has given them an increasing presence in the central region of the country.