Suspected members of the Boko Haram sect have reportedly shot dead more than 20 civilians when a vigilance group attacked them in Borno state.
As stated by spokesman for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Haruna Mohammed Sani: "The suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over 20 innocent civilians."
The violence took place on Saturday in Dawashe village, according to the words of a military spokesman.
It was learnt that men from the Civilian Joint Task Force, a vigilance group formed in Boko Haram's bastion, Maiduguri, to combat the Islamist gunmen who have been terrorising the region for years, entered Dawashe to search for suspects.
Boko Haram members were stated to have subsequently opened fire in the village, killing 20 civilians who were mostly fishermen and traders.
Sani stated a dozen other civilians sustained gunshot wounds during the incident but provided no information on casualties among the belligerents.
The toll and circumstances of the incident could not immediately be verified independently.
The MNJTF, a joint military force set up in 1998 to combat border crimes, consists of troops from Nigeria, Chad and Niger.