The death toll from a suspected bandit attack on Binnari community in Taraba State has surged to 50, resulting to mass displacement after armed men invaded the settlement shortly after Jumu’ah prayers on Friday, shooting randomly, looting food items, and setting properties ablaze.
The bandits according to reports, came into the community from Plateau State. Joint reinforcement teams comprising Police Tactical Units, the Police Mobile Force, and the Nigerian Army have since been deployed to secure the zone and track the fleeing suspects.
While the Taraba State Police Command, through it Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, confirmed 10 deaths, residents undertaking search operations recovered 27 additional bodies from the bushes. Another 13 bodies, mostly children who drowned or were struck by stray bullets, were pulled from a nearby river.
“Upon receipt of the report, police operatives were immediately mobilised to the scene, where ten (10) bodies bearing gunshot wounds were recovered,” Mshelizah.
The Commander of the Hunters Association, Babangida Ibrahim, stated that the arrival of security personnel forced the attackers to flee. However, he lamented that hunters are often arrested by conventional agencies for carrying pump-action rifles, urging the government to provide them with ammunitions to confront the bandits.
Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas condemned the killings, directing security agencies to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has delivered relief materials to displaced survivors currently seeking refuge in neighbouring villages, to bring relief. The Executive Secretary of Taraba SEMA, Echuseh Audu, urged residents to remain law-abiding and share helpful information with law enforcement agencies.
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