ISTANBUL 

At least 15 people have been killed in an attack by armed bandits in Nigeria’s Benue state, local media reported Thursday.

Several people were also wounded when the assailants invaded the town of Anyiin in the Logo Local Government Area.

Nigeria has long been facing attacks from armed gangs as well as the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups in various regions of the country.

Despite the death penalty being enforced for kidnapping, incidents of abduction for ransom are still common.

Armed perpetrators typically target villages, schools and travelers in the northern part of the country to demand ransoms.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan