Gunmen killed at least 40 people in an attack on Binnari village in northeastern Nigeria’s Taraba state on Friday afternoon, Amnesty International said, a toll well above the 10 deaths police first confirmed.
Police said a large group of gunmen invaded the village with heavy gunfire. The attackers looted food from shops, a police statement on Saturday said.
What We Know So Far
The attack happened Friday, Oct. 23, in Binnari, part of the Karim Lamido local government area. Police said suspected armed bandits struck shortly after Muslim residents finished Friday prayers, according to Sahara Reporters.
Police spokesman ASP Victor Mshelizah said officers who responded recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds. The bodies were handed to families for burial under Islamic rites.
Amnesty International said more bodies were recovered later on Saturday and more were still being found. “Earlier police confirmed the killing of 10 people,” its Nigeria office said. The group said attackers destroyed food supplies, homes, shops and motorcycles, and that families were searching for missing relatives.
Police said additional security personnel were placed on red alert. Teams of police tactical units, the Police Mobile Force, the Nigerian Army and other agencies were sent to the area to prevent further attacks and arrest those responsible.
What Authorities Are Saying
Amnesty said the attack showed a “disdain for the sanctity of life.” It called for an impartial investigation, justice for victims and adequate reparations for survivors.
The group criticized Nigeria’s authorities, saying they leave rural communities in parts of the north “at the mercy of gunmen” who commit atrocities repeatedly with impunity. It said the continued failure to prosecute attackers is “emboldening impunity,” according to Sahara Reporters, which said the group also faulted the government of President Bola Tinubu.
Differing Accounts
The toll varies by source. Police first confirmed 10 dead. Sahara Reporters said residents and local sources put the number above 20, while Amnesty said at least 40 had died. Sahara Reporters said the differing figures show the uncertainty about the full scale of the attack. The identities of the attackers and their motive have not been officially established, and Sahara Reporters said claims about where they came from have not been independently verified.
Why This Matters
Northern Nigeria has seen a surge in attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and steal livestock, Reuters said. Amnesty described the Binnari attack as part of a wider pattern of violence against rural communities in parts of the north.
Karim Lamido borders Plateau state and other states, Sahara Reporters noted.
What Happens Next
Amnesty said more bodies were still being discovered, so the toll could change. Security teams have been deployed to the area, and the identities of the attackers have not been established.
Sources: Reuters, Arab News and Sahara Reporters
