At least 62 killed as gunmen attack community in northeastern Nigeria

At least 62 people were killed when gunmen attacked the Binnari community in the Karim-Lamido local government area of Taraba State, northeastern Nigeria, the country's National Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday, 27 October. The attack took place on Friday, 23 October, the Associated Press reported.

A toll that may rise

A Taraba police spokesperson said the figure is not final because recovery efforts are continuing. Earlier AP reporting said 52 bodies had been recovered, including 15 from the Benue River. Fifty-two other people were wounded, and thousands have been displaced.

Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said people fleeing the attackers were driven towards the river, and some went into the water trying to escape.

Who was responsible?

The attackers were described as bandits, the term used in Nigeria for armed criminal groups. No group has claimed responsibility, and the motive has not been established.

The wider picture

Civilians in parts of Nigeria face repeated attacks by armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom and control illegal mining sites. In the northeast, they also face Islamist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.