At least 62 killed as 'bandit' gunmen attack civilians in Nigeria

At least 62 people were killed in a gun attack allegedly carried out by armed criminals locally known as “bandits” in northeastern Nigeria, the country’s emergency agency said Tuesday.

According to Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the gunmen attacked Binnari community in the Karim-Lamido local government area of Taraba State on October 24. The assault also left 52 people injured and displaced thousands of residents.

Fifty-two bodies have been recovered so far, while authorities warned that the death toll could rise as search and recovery operations continue. “We still have men on the ground, and the more we recover bodies, we will put them in account,” Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah told The Associated Press.

Isa Sansui, director of Amnesty International’s Nigerian chapter, alleged that the gunmen exploited the Benue River, where 15 bodies were recovered, to their advantage. “What happened was that people were chased towards the river. They plunged into the water while trying to escape the bandits,” Sansui added.

Nigeria faces a complex security crisis, with civilians frequently targeted by armed groups. Criminal gangs, locally known as “bandits,” carry out mass kidnappings for ransom and operate illegal mining sites, while Islamist militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), also pose a major security threat.