Survivors say gunmen stormed Binnari village on motorcycles after Friday prayers, while residents report missing people and looted shops.
At least 40 people were killed when gunmen attacked Binnari community in Taraba State, according to Amnesty International Nigeria, although police initially reported 10 deaths and survivors told AFP they counted more than 20 bodies.
The attack occurred on Friday, October 23, shortly after Jumu’ah prayers, when armed men invaded the rural community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area and opened fire on residents.
The conflicting death tolls have left the full scale of the killings unclear, with reports that some residents remain missing.
Police said 10 bodies had been recovered by Friday evening. Survivors, however, gave a higher figure, while Amnesty International later reported that the death toll had risen to at least 40.
“After the attackers left, we counted more than 20 bodies, and some people were still missing,” a resident, Sa’idu Nuhu, told AFP.
Another resident, Isiyaku Musa, described the panic as villagers tried to escape the gunfire.
“People were running in different directions to escape the attack. Nobody knew where it was safe to go,” he said.
The attackers reportedly arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with two men on each, before raiding the village.
Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi said the gunmen looted shops and took cash, foodstuffs and other provisions. They also reportedly took motorcycles abandoned by residents fleeing the attack.
Amnesty condemns killings in Taraba community
Amnesty International Nigeria criticised the authorities over what it described as repeated failures to protect rural communities from armed attacks.
“The Nigerian authorities continue to leave rural communities in some parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen that are repeatedly committing atrocities with impunity,” the rights organisation said.
It added: “Consistent failure of the authorities to bring the suspected perpetrators to justice is clearly emboldening impunity.”
The organisation’s reported death toll is higher than the figures initially provided by police and survivors. The final number of victims remains unclear, and the accounts have not been independently reconciled.
Police said security personnel had been deployed to the affected area following the attack. The incident adds to persistent security concerns in rural communities where armed groups have carried out killings, raids and kidnappings.
Banditry continues to threaten rural communities
Taraba faces threats from armed criminal groups, often referred to as bandits, whose activities include raiding villages, abducting residents for ransom and looting property.
Such groups have also targeted rural communities in parts of north-western and central Nigeria, where difficult terrain and limited security presence can complicate efforts to prevent attacks and apprehend suspects.
Nigeria is also battling a long-running insurgency involving jihadist groups in the north-east. However, authorities have not publicly established who was responsible for the Binnari attack or confirmed a motive.
Separately, the military said troops killed 15 suspected terrorists in an air strike north-west of Pulka in Borno State late on Friday. The operation was conducted at about 11:50pm on October 23, following intelligence reports and sightings of suspected terrorist movements, according to the military.
The Borno operation was separate from the attack in Taraba.
The competing accounts of the Binnari death toll underscore the need for a clear, verified casualty count, alongside an investigation into the killings and efforts to establish who carried them out.
