The Commander of the vigilante group and several others were also said to have been injured.
The Galadima Kogo community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state has been bombed by an unknown aircraft on Tuesday.
The incident left many vigilante members dead, according to Vanguard.
The Commander of the vigilante group and several others were also said to have been injured.
Vanguard reliably gathered that the local vigilante men were preparing for a counter-operation against bandits, when the aircraft attacked them.
The bandits had raided the community on Monday, kidnapped several villagers and made away with large number of cattle.
One of the community leaders in the area confirmed the incident on phone.
“The development is unbelievable. As at now, I cannot say how many people have been killed, but I know they are many,” said the leader who wished to remain anonymous.
“What I know is that two Hilux vans have evacuated the dead from the camp.
“It is the vigilante men that have been protecting us against these bandits and now that many of them have been killed, we are at the mercy of the gunmen,” the source declared.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umar, when contacted, confirmed the incident, but could not say the exact number of those killed or where the aircraft came from.
“Government is already on top of the incindent as we are battling with the survivors and injured and how to restore peace to the community,” the Commissioner remarked.
In the past few weeks, bandits have been ravaging Shiroro, Paikoro and Munya Local Government areas, during which a councillor was killed on Sunday, while others escaped.