More than 200 suspected members of an armed criminal gang in central Nigeria have been killed in an ongoing operation, an official has told the BBC.
The large-scale, multi-agency offensive started on Saturday and had also led to arrests, the media officer for the Kogi state government said – without specifying a number.
Footage shared with the BBC by the Kogi Police, filmed from a helicopter, shows flames raging from one settlement in a densely forested area.
For years, members of criminal gangs – known locally as bandits – have carried out killings and kidnappings for ransom, mainly targeting those in the north-west – but they have been moving to other parts of the country more recently.