Symbolic imageToll disputed after gunmen attack village in Nigeria's Taraba State
Gunmen on motorcycles attacked Binnari village in Nigeria's Taraba State on Friday. Police counted 10 dead, while Amnesty International says the toll is 40.
The attack on Binnari, in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, came on Friday, 23 October, just after Friday prayers, residents said. Police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah confirmed ten dead and said officers had been deployed. Survivors told AFP at least 20 people were killed, and Amnesty International said on Saturday that more bodies had been recovered since the police count, putting the toll at 40. Community leader Abubakar Saifullahi said the attackers arrived on about 50 motorcycles, two men each, and looted shops of cash and food. Amnesty accused Nigerian authorities of leaving rural communities in parts of the north "at the mercy of gunmen" who commit atrocities with impunity.
Residents flee, some missing
Local sources told Premium Times the attackers, suspected to have come from neighbouring Plateau State, burnt houses and destroyed food supplies. Residents fled to nearby communities, some people are missing, and sources alleged that security help arrived too late. Police have not identified the perpetrators.