Nigeria massacre: Government says farmers death toll may rise

The spokesman for the Nigerian presidency, Garba Shehu, has said more casualties are expected from the killings.

"The government is sad that this tragic incident has happened ... The full extent of what has happened including the number of fatalities might change," he said.

He said there was an ongoing operation in pursuit of the attackers and if anyone was kidnapped, they would be rescued.

Mr Shehu said the Lake Chad basin region had been liberated from the militants but not all areas had been cleared for occupation by villagers or farmers.

"I've been told by the military leaders that they have not been so advised and therefore it's a window that the terrorists exploited," he said.

He said the army is in control of the area but does not cover every "inch of space".

Mr Shehu emphasised that villagers have to wait for military clearance to occupy any area.

The state government had asked locals to join civilian groups to protect themselves and to that, Mr Shehu said, "Securing the community and the nation is not for the police alone, it must involve everyone, even if they are just limited to reporting movement of suspicious characters," he said.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: LA Times