Amnesty says 40 killed in Binnari village raid in Nigeria's Taraba State

Attack on Binnari village

Gunmen raided Binnari village in the Karim Lamido area of Taraba State, northeastern Nigeria, on Friday, 23 October, shortly after midday prayers. According to police, the attackers rode in on about 50 motorcycles, two men to each, and the rampage lasted up to four hours. Police and survivors describe looted shops, with cash, food and other provisions taken, and the attackers also took motorcycles that residents had abandoned while fleeing. Amnesty International said the gunmen also set fire to food, homes, shops and motorcycles, and that some bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Death toll and competing counts

Police first reported 10 bodies recovered as of Friday evening, 23 October, after officers responded to a distress call. On Saturday, 24 October, Amnesty International said the toll had risen to 40 as more bodies were found. Survivors who spoke to AFP counted at least 20 dead, and Amnesty's Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, said some bereaved families had put the toll as high as 50. Sanusi also told the BBC that an initial funeral had 37 people. Police said they were still searching the bush for other casualties and warned the toll could rise, so the figures are not final.

Police, as of Friday evening, 23 October10

Survivors (at least), per AFP20

Amnesty International, 24 October40

Bereaved families (up to), per Isa Sanusi50

Police, as of Friday evening, 23 October

10 deaths

Survivors (at least), per AFP

20 deaths

Amnesty International, 24 October

40 deaths

Bereaved families (up to), per Isa Sanusi

50 deaths

Data from the article text

Police response and accusations against authorities

Police said the attackers had already fled when officers arrived, and that they continued patrolling the area to restore calm. Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah described the response in these words:

“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.”

Officers were also searching nearby bush for people who might have been killed or wounded. Amnesty International accused the Nigerian authorities of failing to protect rural communities and said that responses from Abuja had been limited to statements, which it called insufficient. The organisation said the government's repeated failure to bring suspected perpetrators to justice was encouraging impunity. The reporting did not provide any information on the identity of the attackers or on arrests.

Wider insecurity in Nigeria

Nigeria faces attacks by armed groups in several regions, including the northwest, northeast and central areas. Banditry has grown in the northwest and central parts of the country, where gangs raid villages, kidnap people for ransom and levy 'taxes' on farmers or miners in rural areas with little state presence. Taraba faces the same kind of bandit threat, which is not ideological in nature. Separately, the country has been fighting a jihadist insurgency in the northeast for nearly two decades, and the Nigerian military said on Saturday, 24 October, that it had killed 15 'terrorists' in an air strike in Borno State.