Armed militants launch attack on Nigerian village of Binnari; death toll disputed between 10 and 40

Nigeria's police announced at least 10 deaths following an attack carried out by armed militants on the village of Binnari in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria, occurring immediately after Friday prayers, as the country continues to grapple with armed crime and extremist groups across multiple regions.

Eyewitnesses told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the death toll exceeded 20 people, while Amnesty International raised the figure to 40 deaths, noting that additional bodies were discovered after the police's initial announcement.

Saidou Nouhou, a village resident, told AFP: "After the attackers withdrew, we counted more than 20 bodies, and some people are still missing." Another Binnari resident, Isiaka Moussa, confirmed in turn that the death toll reached at least 20.

Community leader Mallam Abubakar Seifallah told AFP that the attackers arrived on approximately fifty motorcycles, two per bike, before they raided the village. He added: "They looted the shops and took money, foodstuffs, and other supplies, and also seized motorcycles left behind by those fleeing the attack."

Amnesty International criticized Nigerian authorities for "leaving rural communities in some northern areas prey to armed men committing repeated atrocities without accountability."

Armed crime has become a growing problem in northwestern and central Nigeria, as armed gangs engage in conflict with police and military forces stretched thin across remote rural areas that are difficult to access. Taraba State itself faces threats from ideologically unaffiliated "bandit" gangs that raid villages, kidnap people for ransom extortion, and impose "taxes" on farmers and workers in areas beyond state control. Nigeria is also waging an ongoing armed confrontation stemming from the 2009 Boko Haram uprising.

In a separate development, Nigeria's military announced it killed 15 "terrorists" in an airstrike on Borno State in the northeastern part of the country.