Attack in Taraba Leaves 58 Dead, Residents Demand Security

The death toll from the attack on Binnari community in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has reached 58, including 15 individuals who drowned while attempting to escape. The Taraba State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, reported that the increase in casualties was due to the recovery of additional bodies from nearby bushes and a river following the attack on 23 October 2026.

The assault occurred on market day, resulting in numerous houses being burned and families displaced. Mshelizah confirmed that 23 bodies were recovered, while the 15 victims drowned after their overloaded canoe capsized.

Residents expressed outrage over the government's failure to protect them, with accusations that the attackers operated for hours without resistance. A local trader, Adamu, lamented the lack of government presence during the attack, while Yimita Sunday, a member of the Youth Security Volunteers Vanguard, highlighted the community's inaccessibility and poor communication as factors complicating the situation.