40 killed in Taraba village raid, Amnesty says

Amnesty International reported that 40 people were killed in an attack on Binnari village in Taraba State, Nigeria, on Friday. The human rights organization released its count on Saturday, noting that additional bodies were discovered after the initial police assessment.

Nigerian police initially stated that 10 bodies had been recovered by Friday evening. Officers reported that a large group of gunmen on motorcycles assaulted the village and looted food from local shops. The discrepancy between the official count and the figures provided by residents and Amnesty International has created a gap of 30 to 29 reported deaths.

Survivors told AFP that the violence began just after Friday prayers. Sa'idu Nuhu, a resident of Binnari, said the community counted more than 20 bodies after the attackers departed, with additional people still unaccounted for. Isiyaku Musa, another resident, also estimated that at least 20 people died in the raid.

Malam Abubakar Saifullahi, a community leader, described the scale of the assault. He said approximately 50 motorcycles arrived, each carrying two men. The assailants raided the village, taking cash, foodstuffs, and provisions. They also seized motorcycles abandoned by villagers fleeing the gunfire.

Amnesty International criticized the Nigerian government's response to the violence. The group stated that authorities continue to leave rural communities in parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen committing atrocities with impunity. The organization highlighted the ongoing struggle between bandit groups and security forces in remote areas.

Banditry has expanded in northwest and central Nigeria, where gangs operate without specific ideological drivers. These groups raid villages, kidnap individuals for ransom, and levy taxes on farmers and miners in regions with limited state presence. Taraba State, located in the central-eastern region, faces similar threats from these armed groups.

In a separate incident on Saturday, the Nigerian military announced it killed 15 terrorists in an air strike in Borno State. This action occurred amid ongoing efforts to combat the armed rebellion that began with the 2009 Boko Haram uprising.