Police remain at the scene of the October 23 raid in Taraba State. The emergency agency’s state head says thousands were displaced, while police warn that further recoveries could raise the toll.
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed at least 62 deaths in the October 23 attack on Binnari village in Taraba State, Al Jazeera said on October 27. The agency’s Taraba head, Ladan Ayuba, said thousands of people had been displaced by the raid.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria branch said the attackers set fire to homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles. Police warned that the death toll could rise. Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah told The Associated Press that officers remained on the ground and would add further recovered bodies to the count.
| Who gave the count | Count | Date and basis |
|---|---|---|
| National Emergency Management Agency | At least 62 deaths | Confirmed in the October 27 account |
| Nigerian police | At least 48 deaths | October 25 toll after more bodies were found |
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| Amnesty International | 52 deaths | October 25 account citing sources on the ground and community members |
| Nigerian police | 10 bodies | Initial recoveries by the evening of October 23 |
| Amnesty International | 40 deaths | October 24 statement saying more bodies had been recovered that day |
| Survivors | At least 20 killed | Counted after the attackers left on October 23 |
| Bereaved families, through Amnesty | Up to 50 deaths | Families’ accounts relayed by Isa Sanusi on October 24 |
| Isa Sanusi | 37 people at the initial funeral | Funeral count given on October 24, not a total death toll |
Residents told AFP that gunmen opened fire just after Muslim prayers on October 23. Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi said about 50 motorcycles carried two attackers each. Police said the attackers looted food; Saifullahi said they also took cash, other provisions and motorcycles abandoned by fleeing residents. A resident said some people were still missing after the attackers left. The attack lasted up to four hours. The attackers remain unidentified in a region that has faced years of raids, abductions and ransom demands involving armed gangs and jihadist groups.
Mshelizah told BBC News that more bodies were discovered on October 25: some victims had drowned while escaping, while others were killed in nearby bushes. Officers also continued patrols to restore calm after the attackers fled. Police had said on October 24 that officers were searching the surrounding bush for people who might have been killed or wounded, warning that the toll could rise.
Amnesty’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, accused the authorities of leaving rural communities exposed to gunmen who repeatedly attack without punishment and called for an impartial investigation. The organisation also called for adequate reparations for survivors, saying statements condemning attacks were not enough.
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