Death toll in Nigeria village raided by gunmen rises to 48, police say
Unidentified gunmen on motorcycles swooped on a remote village on Friday, looting shops and setting houses ablaze.
Key points
- The death toll from Friday's gunmen attack on Binnari village in Taraba state, north-eastern Nigeria, has risen to at least 48, police say.
- Amnesty International says it has confirmed 52 deaths, citing sources on the ground and local community members.
- The attack came just after midday Muslim prayers and lasted up to four hours, with the assailants arriving on about 50 motorcycles.
Police in Nigeria's north-eastern Taraba state say the death toll from Friday's attack on the remote village of Binnari has risen to at least 48. Gunmen on motorcycles raided the village, looting shops and setting houses on fire, and police initially reported 10 deaths.
State police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah said more bodies were found on Sunday. Some victims drowned while trying to escape the attackers, and others were killed in nearby bushes, he said.
Amnesty puts toll at 52
Amnesty International's director for Nigeria said the organisation had confirmed 52 deaths, based on sources on the ground and members of the local community. Its Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, called for an impartial investigation into the killings and accused the authorities of leaving rural communities "at the mercy of gunmen".
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
— Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah
How the attack unfolded
The attack happened just after midday Muslim prayers and the rampage went on for up to four hours. Officers who responded to a distress call initially recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds, and the attackers had fled by the time police arrived, though patrols continued to restore calm.
Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi told AFP the attackers came on about 50 motorcycles, two men each, and took cash, foodstuffs and other provisions as well as abandoned motorcycles. Survivor Isiyaku Musa told AFP that people ran in different directions and nobody knew where it was safe to go.
