Gunmen Kill 48 in Northern Nigeria

Violence linked to feud involving cattle thieves, not Islamic militants

Gunmen have killed 48 people in an attack on a village in Nigeria's Zamfara state, an official says.

They arrived before dawn riding motorbikes, a state spokesman said.

They then climbed a hill overlooking the village and opened fire indiscriminately before carrying out house-to-house attacks, he said.

The attack is said to be linked to an on-going feud involving cattle thieves in the northern state—there were similar attacks last year.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous state and biggest oil producer, is also battling an insurgency by militant Islamists.

However, the latest violence is not believed to be linked to the insurgency, says BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross.