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Eleven people have been killed in an attack in eastern Nigeria targeting the deputy governor of Adamawa state, police say.

The assailants used guns and machetes in the attack in Mildu village. Some victims had their throats slit.

Deputy state governor Bala James Ngilari was not at home when the assailants arrived in the village. Two of his guards were among those killed.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Villagers and police said the attackers called out the names of those they were targeting when they entered Mildu on Saturday morning.

Islamist group Boko Haram is active in the region, though the state of Adamawa is also the scene of a political feud between members of the ruling PDP party.

This week Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan set up a panel to look into the possibility of granting Boko Haram militants an amnesty.

--BBC