The death toll from a gunmen attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has risen to 48, with 15 residents fleeing the assault reportedly drowning in a boat mishap while escaping from the attackers.
The Taraba State Police Command confirmed that 10 people were killed on the first day of the attack on Friday, while 38 others died or were found dead on Saturday morning, comprising 15 victims of the boat mishap and 23 whose bodies were recovered from the bush.
Victor Mshelizah, Police Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Command, confirmed the figures to BusinessDay, explaining that the boat mishap occurred as residents attempted to escape the gunmen.
Mshelizah said the boat may have been carrying more passengers than its capacity, while the inadequate number of life jackets contributed to the deaths of the 15 victims.
The police spokesperson said officers were deployed immediately after the incident was reported, while additional personnel were sent to the area on Sunday morning to reinforce security.
He added that calm had returned to the affected community as of the time of filing this report.
The latest police figures exceed the initial casualty count reported by Amnesty International, which said at least 40 people were killed in the attack.
The attack reportedly occurred on Friday afternoon, shortly after Muslim Juma’at prayers, when armed men invaded Binnari village in large numbers.
Reports indicated that the attackers arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with each motorcycle carrying two armed men.
They reportedly opened fire indiscriminately on residents, setting houses, shops and stores containing food supplies ablaze.
The assailants were also reported to have looted cash and provisions before fleeing the community, leaving residents dead, injured or missing.
Amnesty International criticised the Federal Government over what it described as a slow response to the attack, arguing that vulnerable rural communities had been left exposed to armed criminal groups operating with considerable impunity.
Residents were also reported to have sustained injuries, while several others remained missing after the assault.
The full extent of the damage to homes, businesses and food supplies was not immediately established.
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