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Amnesty reports 40 killed in Taraba village attack

Police said they recovered 10 bodies after Friday’s attack on Binnari. Amnesty International later reported at least 40 deaths, a toll residents cited by AFP also put above the police count.

By Wrivid News Desk
People and goods aboard a boat crossing the Benue River near Jeng, Karim Lamido, Taraba State, in March 2020. Archival context photo; it does not depict Binnari or the 2026 attack.
People and goods aboard a boat crossing the Benue River near Jeng, Karim Lamido, Taraba State, in March 2020. Archival context photo; it does not depict Binnari or the 2026 attack.File photo: John Ovye Godwin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized for web) · file details · CC BY-SA 4.0; people and goods crossing the Benue River near Jeng, Karim Lamido, photographed March 20, 2020; archival context, not Binnari or the 2026 attack; resized for web without generative editing.

Executive summary

  • Police initially reported 10 deaths: Taraba State Police said gunmen attacked Binnari village in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area on Oct. 23 and that officers recovered 10 bodies. The command said it deployed additional security personnel.[1][2]
  • Amnesty reported at least 40 people killed: Amnesty International Nigeria said at least 40 people were killed. The public post did not provide a detailed accounting method, and the higher figure has not been independently established in the reporting reviewed here.[3][4]
  • Residents told AFP the toll exceeded 20: Two Binnari residents interviewed by AFP gave counts above 20. The different figures describe accounts made at different points as bodies were recovered; no final official toll was available in the sources reviewed.[5][4]

Taraba State Police said gunmen attacked Binnari village in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area on Friday, Oct. 23. In a statement quoted by Channels Television, the command said the assault happened at about 3 p.m., shortly after Friday prayers, and that officers recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds. Police also said the attackers looted food from shops.[1]

The figure rose in other accounts published Saturday. Amnesty International Nigeria said at least 40 people had been killed. Residents Sa’idu Nuhu and Isiyaku Musa told AFP that more than 20 people were dead; Al Jazeera published those interviews alongside its reporting from Reuters and AFP. The sources do not establish a final toll, and the higher counts have not been independently verified.[3][5][4]

The police statement said additional officers and joint security teams were deployed to the area after the attack. It described the assailants as suspected armed bandits but did not identify a specific group. The command said it was pursuing those responsible; the statements reviewed did not include an arrest update.[1][2]

Amnesty’s post called for an investigation and said families were still seeking relatives. Its estimate and that of local residents differ from the police’s initial count, so the reported numbers should be read as separate accounts rather than a single settled figure.[3][5]