Amnesty International reports 40 dead in Taraba village raid

Amnesty International stated on Saturday that 40 people were killed in an assault on Binnari village in Taraba State, Nigeria. The human rights organization said police initially confirmed 10 deaths, but more bodies were discovered later that day.

Police reported that 10 bodies had been recovered by Friday evening following the attack. They described the assailants as a large group of gunmen riding motorcycles who targeted the community in central eastern Nigeria. Officers said the attackers looted food from local shops during the raid.

Survivors and local leaders provided conflicting figures that place the death toll well above the police count. Sa'idu Nuhu, a resident of Binnari, told AFP that more than 20 bodies were counted after the attackers departed. He noted that some people remained missing at the time of his statement. Isiyaku Musa, another resident, also estimated the toll at no fewer than 20 dead.

Malam Abubakar Saifullahi, a community leader, said approximately 50 motorcycles arrived at the village. He stated that two men rode on each bike before the group began the raid. Saifullahi said the gunmen took cash, foodstuffs, and provisions from shops. He also reported that they seized motorcycles abandoned by villagers who fled the gunfire.

Residents said the opening volley occurred just after Friday prayers. The violence adds to a pattern of banditry affecting remote areas in central and northwest Nigeria. These groups, which are not driven by a specific ideology, often raid villages for resources and levy taxes on farmers and miners where state presence is limited.

Amnesty International criticized Nigerian authorities in a statement. The group said officials continue to leave rural communities in parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen who commit atrocities with impunity. The organization highlighted the gap between the initial police figures and the later discovery of additional bodies.

The attack occurred the same day the Nigerian military announced the death of 15 fighters in an air strike in Borno State, in the northeast. That separate operation targeted an armed rebellion that began with the Boko Haram uprising in 2009.