27 dead in Nigeria attack:

Residents in Nigeria’s northern Borno state say attacks by Boko Haram extremists on several villages in the past week have killed at least 27 people.

Modu Jialta, a member of a self-defense group with the Nganzai local council, says the Islamic extremists entered villages on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people by slitting their throats and shooting them. He says the bodies were buried on Friday.

Mai Abatcha Monguno, commander of the Guzamala local council’s self-defense forces, says 12 other people were killed in attacks on villages there.

Local defense forces are asking for more government support to fight Boko Haram’s insurgency, which has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced millions in the past eight years. Deadly attacks also have been carried out in neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, fifteen people were shot dead in an overnight attack in north Cameroon, blamed on Boko Haram Islamists, a security source said Friday.

The attack happened in the town of Gakara close to the Nigerian border, the security source in the region said.

“Boko Haram shot 15 people dead ... and kidnapped eight people three of whom were returned on Friday,” added the source, who wished to remain anonymous.

A total of 35 houses were torched in the attack which happened around 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) according to a local vigilante group member.

“There were many of them,” said the source. (Agencies)