The casualty count stemming from an armed assault on Binnari village within the Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has climbed to 48 individuals. According to local law enforcement, the rising death toll includes 15 residents who lost their lives in a river accident while attempting to flee the violent raid across the community.
Victor Mshelizah, the police public relations officer for the Taraba State Command, confirmed that 10 people were killed initially on Friday when the attackers struck. An additional 38 bodies were subsequently recovered, which included the 15 victims of the boat mishap alongside 23 individuals whose remains were found in nearby bushes following the search operations.
Authorities indicated that the fatal boat incident occurred as panicked residents scrambled to cross a body of water to escape the advancing gunmen. Investigators noted that the watercraft was likely overloaded beyond its safe passenger capacity and that a lack of adequate life jackets severely worsened the survival outcomes for those on board.
The assault began on Friday afternoon shortly after Muslim Jumaat prayers, when a large number of armed men entered the village on approximately 50 motorcycles. Witnesses reported that the assailants fired indiscriminately, set fire to homes, shops, and food stores, and looted valuables before escaping into the surrounding terrain.
In response to the violence, police reinforcements were deployed to the area over the weekend to stabilize the situation. Law enforcement officials stated that relative calm has since been restored to Binnari village, although numerous residents sustained injuries and others remained unaccounted for in the aftermath of the raid.
Source reporting: BusinessDay — 2026-10-25 16:23:08
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