Key facts
- At least 40 people were killed in an attack on Binnari village in Nigeria's Taraba state.
- The attack occurred on Friday afternoon.
- Police confirmed the initial death toll was 10, with more bodies recovered later.
- Gunmen looted food items from shops during the raid.
- President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into a separate attack on the Zike community in Plateau state.
- Amnesty International reported 1,336 deaths in Plateau state between December 2023 and February 2024.
Gunmen killed at least 40 people in an attack on Binnari village in Nigeria's northeastern Taraba state on Friday afternoon, Amnesty International said. Police initially confirmed 10 deaths, but more bodies were recovered later on Saturday. The attackers invaded the village with heavy gunfire and looted food items from shops, according to police.
Northern Nigeria has experienced a surge in attacks by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and steal livestock. In a separate incident, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into a late Sunday night attack on the Zike community in Plateau state, where Muslim gunmen, believed to be herders, attacked a Christian farming community. Amnesty International reported that 1,336 people were killed in Plateau state between December 2023 and February 2024.