Gunmen Kill 58 in Taraba Community Market Attack

On October 23, armed gunmen attacked Binnari, a rural community in Taraba State's Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, killing at least 58 people during a four-hour rampage. The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the death toll, which includes 15 individuals who drowned while escaping in a canoe.

Initially, only 10 deaths were reported, but community accounts suggested numbers as high as 50. The attack coincided with the community's weekly market, attracting many residents.

Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen arrived on motorcycles shortly after Friday prayers, opened fire, looted shops, and set homes ablaze. Community leader Abubakar Saifullahi noted that the assailants took provisions and motorcycles left behind by fleeing residents.

Local hunters and vigilantes pursued the attackers, who retreated towards communities near the borders with Plateau and Bauchi states. The police announced additional deployments to the area following the incident, but no group had claimed responsibility as of the latest reports.