World

Northeastern Nigeria Village Raid Leaves at Least 62 Dead

By Al Jazeera Staff

The death toll from a gunmen attack on the remote village of Binnari in Taraba state has risen to at least 62, the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed. Ladan Ayuba, head of the agency in Taraba, said on Tuesday that thousands of residents had been displaced by the raid. According to Amnesty International’s Nigeria branch, bandits set fire to homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles in Binnari on Friday. Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah told The Associated Press that the death toll could increase as more bodies are recovered. Amnesty International Nigeria criticized the authorities’ protection of civilians, stating that rural communities in parts of northern Nigeria remain at the mercy of gunmen who repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity. The organization called for an impartial investigation and adequate reparations for survivors, noting that bland condemnations are insufficient. The attack occurs amid a broader security crisis that began over 15 years ago with the Boko Haram rebellion, and is compounded by armed groups controlling illegal mining sites, which finance arms purchases and recruitment, leading to increased smuggling and violence across Nigeria and the Sahel region, according to the Institute for Security Studies.