Gunmen Kill at Least 10 in Raid on Nigerian Village in Taraba State

Armed men attacked a remote village in Taraba state, north-eastern Nigeria, on Friday, killing at least 10 people, looting shops and burning homes, according to police. Those responsible have not been identified.

The real number of dead may be much greater. Eyewitnesses reported at least 20 deaths, while a non-governmental organisation put the figure at as many as 50.

The assailants reportedly rode into Binnari, in the Karim Lamido area, on motorcycles shortly after midday Muslim prayers on Friday. The assault is said to have lasted as long as four hours.

Police said officers responded to a distress call and recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds. By the time they reached the village, the attackers had left. Officers have continued to patrol the area to restore calm, police told BBC News on Saturday. Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah said the gunmen were dispersed, although neither side suffered casualties, "because the terrain is difficult and they're used to the terrain." He said officers were still searching nearby bush for people who may have been killed or wounded, and warned that the toll could rise.

Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi told the AFP news agency that the attackers came on about 50 motorcycles, with two men on each. "They looted shops and took cash, foodstuffs and other provisions," he said, adding that they also took motorcycles left behind by residents who fled.

Survivors who spoke to AFP said they had counted at least 20 bodies. Binnari resident Isiyaku Musa described the panic: "People were running in different directions to escape the attack. Nobody knew where it was safe to go." Another survivor, Sa'idu Nuhu, said some people were still unaccounted for.

Amnesty International's Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, told BBC News on Saturday that the organisation had spoken with some bereaved families, who said up to 50 people had died. "The initial funeral had 37 people," he said.

Sanusi called for an impartial investigation into the killings. He accused the authorities of leaving rural communities "at the mercy of gunmen that are repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity".

Nigeria faces attacks by armed groups in several regions, including the northwest, northeast and central parts of the country. It is also fighting a jihadist insurgency in the north-east that has lasted nearly two decades, and the government's handling of insecurity has drawn persistent criticism.