Home · World · Oct 25 archive
Death Toll in Nigerian Village Raid Rises to 50
Confirmed
In Short: The attack, which occurred on Friday, saw gunmen on motorcycles raid the village of Binnari, looting shops and setting houses ablaze.
The attack, which occurred on Friday, saw gunmen on motorcycles raid the village of Binnari, looting shops and setting houses ablaze.
Initially, police reported only 10 deaths, but the toll has since risen to at least 50, with some sources citing even higher figures.
Survivors recounted harrowing stories of the attack, with one survivor telling AFP that they had counted at least 20 dead.
Sanusi called for an impartial investigation into the killings, accusing the authorities of leaving rural communities 'at the mercy of gunmen that are repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity.'
Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah said the police were able to disperse the gunmen without casualties on either side, attributing this to the difficult terrain.
The Nigerian government has urged the public and media to rely on verified information as they work with other security agencies to establish what happened.
Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warned that the scale of insecurity in several parts of the country is drowning out public confidence, presenting a potent threat to the conduct of free and fair elections.
The INEC chairman also drew attention to upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, describing them as critical milestones in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has issued its sharpest condemnation yet of violence that is killing Nigerians of all faiths.
The bishops called for an end to the violence, emphasizing that an attack on any place of worship is an attack on the collective humanity of all Nigerians.
What's confirmed
- The attack, which occurred on Friday, saw gunmen on motorcycles raid the village of Binnari, looting shops and setting houses ablaze.
- Initially, police reported only 10 deaths, but the toll has since risen to at least 50, with some sources citing even higher figures.
- Survivors recounted harrowing stories of the attack, with one survivor telling AFP that they had counted at least 20 dead.
- Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah said the police were able to disperse the gunmen without casualties on either side, attributing this to the difficult terrain.
- The Nigerian government has urged the public and media to rely on verified information as they work with other security agencies to establish what happened.
- Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warned that the scale of insecurity in several parts of the country is drowning out public confidence, presenting a potent threat to the conduct of free and fair elections.
- The INEC chairman also drew attention to upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, describing them as critical milestones in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
- The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has issued its sharpest condemnation yet of violence that is killing Nigerians of all faiths.
- The bishops called for an end to the violence, emphasizing that an attack on any place of worship is an attack on the collective humanity of all Nigerians.
What's still developing
- Meanwhile, Amnesty International's director for Nigeria said his organisation had confirmed 52 deaths, citing sources on the ground and members of the local community.
- The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria 'If you started running, they shot you' - inside Nigeria's growing kidnapping crisis Survivors who spoke to AFP said they had counted at least 20 dead.
- "The initial funeral had 37 people," he said.
- Amnesty's Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, told BBC News on Saturday that the NGO had spoken to some of the bereaved families who said up to 50 people had died.
- Death toll in Nigerian bandit attack rises to 50, survivors recount horror The death toll from an attack by gunmen in a rural eastern Nigerian town has risen to at least 50, survivors and Amnesty International told AFP Sunday, after more bodies were discovered.
- "The following day, Saturday, we discovered another 43 bodies in the river, bringing the total to 50," he added.
- Armed assailants on motorcycles have killed at least 20 people in a raid on the rural village of Binnari in Nigeria's Taraba state, survivors confirmed, marking the latest deadly assault across the country's vulnerable rural communities.
- Taraba state, situated towards central Nigeria, has faced mounting violence from criminal "bandit" networks.
- Ozurumba was deported to Nigeria in April 2025 while his appeal was pending.
- A Nigerian man forced to cook thousands of meals for the Unknown Gunmen, a militant group linked to political violence in Nigeria, is at the center of a Supreme Court showdown that could determine how broadly immigration authorities can apply a terrorism-related bar to asylum and how far the Trump administration can go in deporting immigrants accused of supporting terrorism.
- Nigeria's trusted source for news, politics, business, and entertainment.
- Shell pumped oil through Nigeria pipeline for years despite pollution evidence, documents show The YEAC said its network of volunteers and human rights defenders had reported that people in Okrika had died after inhaling what it locally known as "Indorama fuel", which is a form of refined petrol known as PMS (Premium Motor Spirit).