Unknown gunmen raided a remote village in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Taraba, killing at least 10 people, looting shops and setting houses on fire, police said.
Fears persist that the true death toll is much higher. Eyewitnesses have spoken of 20 deaths, while a non-governmental organisation has suggested as many as 50 people may have been killed.
Gunmen raid Binnari village in Karim Lamido
The gunmen reportedly swooped on the village of Binnari in the Karim Lamido area on motorcycles just after midday prayers on Friday. The rampage lasted for up to four hours.
A community leader, Malam Abubakar Saifullahi, told a news agency that the attackers had arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with two men on each. “They looted shops and took cash, foodstuffs and other provisions,” he said. “They also took motorcycles abandoned by people fleeing the attack.”
Police recover bodies and search nearby bush
Police said officers responded to a distress call and recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds. The attackers had already fled by the time they arrived, and officers continued patrolling the area to restore calm.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah said the gunmen had been dispersed. “We were able to disperse the unknown gunmen though there was no casualty on their side and ours because the terrain is difficult and they’re used to the terrain,” he said. He added that officers were still searching the bush for people who might have been killed or wounded, and warned the death toll could still rise.
Survivors describe chaos and missing relatives
Survivors who spoke to a news agency said they had counted at least 20 dead. Binnari resident Isiyaku Musa said people ran in different directions to escape. “Nobody knew where it was safe to go,” he said.
Another survivor, Sa’idu Nuhu, said some people were still missing.
Amnesty calls for impartial investigation
Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, said the rights group had spoken to bereaved families who said up to 50 people had died. “The initial funeral had 37 people,” he said.
Amnesty accused the authorities of failing to protect rural communities. Sanusi called for an impartial investigation, saying officials had left these communities exposed to gunmen who repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity. Nigeria also faces attacks by armed groups in several regions, alongside a jihadist insurgency in the north-east that has lasted nearly two decades.
