At least 10 people have been killed after gunmen attacked Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, looting shops and setting houses ablaze, according to the police.

The attack reportedly occurred shortly after midday prayers on Friday, October 23, 2026, and lasted for up to four hours.

Police said the assailants arrived on motorcycles and fled before security personnel reached the community following a distress call.

Authorities recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds, but officials warned that the death toll could increase as officers continued searching nearby bushes for additional victims.

While police confirmed 10 deaths, eyewitnesses and community representatives reported a significantly higher number of casualties.

Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi told the AFP news agency that the attackers arrived on approximately 50 motorcycles, with two people riding on each motorcycle.

He said the gunmen looted shops, taking cash, food and other supplies. They also reportedly seized motorcycles abandoned by residents fleeing the attack.

A survivor, Isiyaku Musa, said residents ran in different directions in an attempt to escape the violence, adding that people struggled to identify safe places to hide.

Another survivor, Sa’idu Nuhu, said some residents were still missing.

Survivors who spoke to AFP estimated that at least 20 people had been killed.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, told the BBC that the organisation had spoken with bereaved families who believed as many as 50 people had died.

Sanusi said the initial funeral proceedings involved 37 people, raising concerns that the official casualty figure might not reflect the full scale of the attack.

He called for an impartial investigation and accused authorities of failing to adequately protect rural communities from repeated attacks by armed groups.

The higher casualty figures have not been independently confirmed, and police say efforts to establish the full number of victims are continuing.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Mshelizah said officers responded to the distress call but found that the attackers had already fled.

He said police personnel continued patrolling the area to restore calm and search for people who might have been killed or wounded.

Mshelizah added that the difficult terrain made security operations challenging, noting that the attackers were familiar with the area.

Police said no casualties were recorded among the responding officers or the gunmen during the encounter.

The attack adds to ongoing security concerns in Nigeria, where armed groups have carried out killings, kidnappings and raids across several regions.

The northeast has also faced a jihadist insurgency lasting nearly two decades, while communities in other parts of the country continue to experience violence involving armed gangs and other criminal groups.

The latest killings have renewed calls for stronger protection of rural settlements, a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.

Authorities are expected to establish the final death toll as search operations and investigations continue.