Gunmen on Motorcycles Kill Dozens in Taraba Village Raid

Armed men on motorcycles attacked Binnari village in Taraba State, eastern Nigeria, killing at least 10 people according to police reports.

The assault occurred shortly after Friday prayers when a large group of gunmen entered the community. Officers stated that 10 bodies were recovered by Friday evening. During the raid, the attackers looted food from local shops and seized cash and provisions.

Estimates of the death toll have risen sharply since the initial police count. Survivors told the news agency AFP that at least 20 people died in the attack. Amnesty International released a statement on Saturday confirming that 40 people were killed. The human rights group noted that while police first confirmed 10 deaths, additional bodies were discovered on Saturday.

Community leaders provided details on the scale of the operation. Malam Abubakar Saifullahi, a local leader, said approximately 50 motorcycles arrived, carrying two men each. He noted that the group also took motorcycles abandoned by fleeing residents. Sa'idu Nuhu, a resident of Binnari, said the community counted more than 20 bodies after the attackers departed, with some people still missing. Another resident, Isiyaku Musa, gave a similar figure of no fewer than 20 dead.

Amnesty International criticized the Nigerian government for failing to protect rural populations. The organization stated that authorities leave communities in parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen who commit atrocities with impunity. Banditry has intensified in northwest and central Nigeria, where armed groups raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom, and collect informal taxes from farmers and miners in areas with little state presence.

The attack in Taraba adds to the country's ongoing security challenges. Nigeria continues to combat armed groups in the northeast, where the military announced on Saturday that it killed 15 fighters in an air strike in Borno State. This incident marks a separate development from the violence in Taraba.

Police in Taraba State are coordinating the recovery of bodies and investigating the raid. The discrepancy between the initial official count and the figures provided by residents and Amnesty International highlights the difficulty of assessing casualties in remote areas.