The death toll from a gun attack on Binnari village in Nigeria’s north-eastern Taraba State has risen to at least 48, police have told the BBC, while Amnesty International says it has confirmed 52 deaths. Unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles raided the remote community on Friday shortly after midday Muslim prayers. The attackers reportedly looted shops, stole cash, food and motorcycles, and set houses ablaze during a rampage that lasted up to four hours.
Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah said officers initially recovered 10 bodies after responding to a distress call. More bodies were discovered on Sunday, with some victims reportedly drowning while fleeing and others being killed in nearby bushes. The attackers had left before police arrived. Authorities said officers continued patrols to restore calm, although the difficult terrain made operations challenging. Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi told AFP that the assailants arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with two men on each. Survivor Isiyaku Musa described widespread panic as residents fled in different directions, unsure where they could find safety.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, said the organisation had confirmed 52 deaths through local sources and community members. He called for an impartial investigation, criticising authorities over the repeated attacks on rural communities. The differing death tolls could not immediately be reconciled, and the full circumstances of the attack remain unclear. Parts of Nigeria continue to face violence from armed groups, including jihadist militants and criminal gangs accused of raiding villages, killing residents and abducting people for ransom. The latest killings add to growing security concerns ahead of the country’s next general elections, when insecurity is expected to be a major political issue.
