The gunmen were said to have stormed the village targeting men and boys before setting houses on fire on Tuesday but news of the incident did not come out due to the remoteness of the village.

Eye witnesses said that the attack, which took place as the residents were holding prayers, sent everyone running into the bush for safety, with dead bodies scattered all over the area, some of them with their throats cut.

The attack is seen as part of the desperate actions of Boko Haram against the backdrop of the onslaught by the Nigerian military to root out the insurgents from the country.

The three countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger have joined Nigeria in the effort to form a military coalition, which has recaptured several towns and villages in recent weeks.