Survivors and Amnesty International report 40 deaths in Taraba village attack

The death toll from the assault on Binnari village in Taraba State has risen to 40, according to Amnesty International, a figure that significantly exceeds the initial police count.

The attack occurred on Friday just after prayers when a group of gunmen arrived on approximately 50 motorcycles. Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi stated that two men rode on each motorcycle as they entered the village. The attackers looted shops, taking cash, foodstuffs, and provisions. They also seized motorcycles abandoned by residents fleeing the scene.

Nigerian police reported on Saturday that ten bodies had been recovered by Friday evening. However, survivors provided different numbers to AFP. Resident Sa'idu Nuhu said the community counted more than 20 bodies after the attackers left, with additional people still missing. Another resident, Isiyaku Musa, also placed the death toll at no fewer than 20.

Amnesty International issued a statement on Saturday confirming 40 people were killed. The organization noted that police initially confirmed 10 deaths, but more bodies were discovered later on Saturday. The group criticized Nigerian authorities for leaving rural communities in the north at the mercy of gunmen who commit atrocities with impunity.

The incident adds to a pattern of violence linked to banditry in central and eastern Nigeria. These groups typically operate without a specific ideology, raiding villages for supplies and kidnapping individuals for ransom. They often impose taxes on farmers and miners in remote areas where state presence is limited.

In a separate development on Saturday, the Nigerian military announced it killed 15 terrorists in an air strike in Borno State. This action continues the country's ongoing campaign against armed rebellion groups in the northeast, which began with the 2009 Boko Haram uprising.