NEMA reported 62 deaths after the October 23 attack in Binnari.
Why it matters: The attack damaged homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles and displaced thousands, according to NEMA and accounts from the community. The reported death toll remains higher than the number of bodies recovered.
- NEMA reported at least 62 deaths and 52 injuries on October 27; that is the latest official toll cited.
- Police had initially confirmed 10 deaths in an October 24 report after the October 23 attack.
- Officials reported recovering 52 bodies, including 15 from the Benue River; deaths linked to an overloaded canoe remain unconfirmed.
- NEMA said thousands were displaced after attackers burned homes, shops, food stocks and motorcycles.
Gunmen attacked Binnari in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba state on Friday, October 23, shortly after Jumu'ah prayers, according to an October 24 police report. That account confirmed 10 deaths.
The National Emergency Management Agency reported a higher toll on October 27: at least 62 people killed, 52 injured and thousands displaced. NEMA's 62-person figure is the latest official toll cited, but it is a reported total rather than a count matched by recovered bodies. Officials told The Associated Press that 52 bodies had been recovered, including 15 from the Benue River, and that more could be found.
The accounts therefore describe two different measures: NEMA's latest reported death toll and the smaller number of bodies recovered. Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah said, “We still have men on the ground, and the more we recover bodies, we will put them in account.”
Attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles, used heavy gunfire, looted shops and food supplies, and burned homes, shops, food stocks and motorcycles, according to Al Jazeera. Accounts cited by Premium Times said residents fled toward the river and that some people died when an overloaded canoe capsized. Those canoe deaths were reported, not confirmed in the cited accounts.
Taraba deployed police tactical units, the Police Mobile Force, the Nigerian Army and other security personnel, according to AP's account. Governor Agbu Kefas condemned the killings and called for residents to be protected and those responsible pursued, Premium Times reported.
The attackers were not publicly identified. Nigerian reports described them as suspected bandits, a term used in the reporting for armed criminal gangs involved in rural raids, kidnapping and looting. Amnesty International separately reported at least 40 deaths, while community sources cited by Premium Times put the toll at 50.
By the numbers
- 62 - Latest death toll reported by NEMA on October 27
- 52 - Bodies officials said had been recovered
- 15 - Recovered bodies reported to have come from the Benue River
Yes, but: The 62-person figure is NEMA's latest reported toll, while officials had recovered 52 bodies. The accounts also do not establish the reported canoe deaths as confirmed.
What's next: Recovery efforts were continuing, with Taraba police saying more bodies could still be found.