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.
This operation follows a surge in mass abductions, including attacks on schools, which have sparked nationwide outrage and prompted the government to intensify security efforts.
