Death toll from last week’s northwest Nigeria attack doubles to 130

The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria’s Kaduna State has doubled to more than 130 people, the state governor said on Tuesday, adding that the motive appeared to be ethnic.

Nasir el-Rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the gunmen’s motive. The attack last Friday came the day before a presidential election was supposed to be held, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by one week due to logistical challenges.

There was no indication that the attack was related to the election.