The information is partly confirmed by police.
Three villages in Niger State were reportedly attacked by armed assailants around dawn. Most of the houses were reportedly burned down, so it is feared more bodies may be found among the remains.
Earlier in February, 162 people were killed in an attack in the neighboring state of Kwara.
Jihadists and other criminal groups are wreaking havoc in parts of Nigeria, and deadly attacks and kidnappings that result in many victims occur regularly.
