More than 40 people were killed in an attack by gunmen on a village in central Nigeria's Plateau State on Monday night, according to local officials and media reports.

The attackers, dozens strong and riding motorbikes, stormed the village of Zurak in the Wase Local Government Area. Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, commissioner of information for Plateau State, confirmed the attack to reporters in Jos, stating the death toll could be "as many as 40 people."

Local sources, reported by The Nation Newspaper, said the gunmen fired indiscriminately at residents, injuring many. In addition to the killings, houses were also set ablaze during the attack.

Armed attacks have become a regular occurrence in Nigeria's central and northern regions, causing numerous deaths and kidnappings. (ILKHA)