No fewer than 20 people have been killed in a fresh bandit attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, raising fresh concerns over insecurity and putting Governor Agbu Kefas under pressure over his administration’s handling of the crisis.
Survivors told AFP that the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire shortly after Friday prayers, leaving residents fleeing in different directions.
“People were running in different directions to escape the attack. Nobody knew where it was safe to go,” a resident, Isiyaku Musa, said.
Another resident, Sa’idu Nuhu, said more than 20 bodies were counted after the attackers left, while some people remained missing.
“After the attackers left, we counted more than 20 bodies, and some people were still missing,” Nuhu told AFP.
However, the Taraba State Police Command gave a lower casualty figure, saying security operatives had recovered 10 bodies as of Friday evening.
The police spokesperson, ASP Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the attack, saying preliminary information indicated that the gunmen initially targeted food items and other valuables.
“There was an incident like that yesterday, immediately after Friday’s prayers,” he said.
“From the preliminary report, it was revealed that the people initially came to steal food stuff and other valuables.”
Mshelizah said the identities of the attackers had yet to be established and assured residents that security operatives would intensify efforts to protect lives and property.
A community leader, Malam Abubakar Saifullahi, said the attackers arrived on about 50 motorcycles, with two men on each motorcycle, before raiding the village.
“They looted shops and took cash, foodstuffs and other provisions. They also took motorcycles abandoned by people fleeing the attack,” Saifullahi said.
The killings have drawn condemnation from Amnesty International Nigeria, which accused the authorities of failing to protect rural communities from repeated attacks.
“The Nigerian authorities continue to leave rural communities in some parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen that are repeatedly committing atrocities with impunity,” the rights group said.
Amnesty International added that the failure to prosecute suspected perpetrators could encourage further violence.
“Consistent failure of the authorities to bring the suspected perpetrators to justice is clearly emboldening impunity,” it said in a social media post.
Banditry has become a growing security concern across parts of north-western and central Nigeria, where armed gangs attack communities, abduct residents for ransom and extort farmers and miners.
The attack has also triggered a political dispute over the security situation in Taraba, with Governor Kefas warning opposition figures against using the killings to score political points.
In a statement issued in Jalingo on Sunday and signed by Emmanuel Bello of the Directorate of Media, Agbu Kefas Re-election Campaign Council, the governor challenged Senator Emmanuel Bwacha to present his proposed strategy for tackling insecurity rather than criticising the administration.
The statement followed a viral video in which Bwacha, an opposition governorship aspirant, expressed sympathy for the victims and questioned the effectiveness of the governor’s security strategy.
“The central question remains: What exactly is Bwacha’s plan for securing Taraba State? Governor Kefas’s record cannot be dismissed through political rhetoric alone,” the statement said.
It added that Kefas’s administration had prioritised security through collaboration with military formations, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, alongside investments in operational equipment, logistical support and personnel morale.
The campaign council acknowledged, however, that the latest killings showed that significant security challenges remained.
“It is important to acknowledge that the recent killings are a painful reminder that significant challenges remain. However, no government anywhere can guarantee absolute security,” the statement read.
The council also cited Taraba’s geographical position, including its borders with several Nigerian states and Cameroon, as a factor complicating security operations.
It said effective intelligence gathering, early-warning systems, community engagement and cross-border cooperation were necessary to address the threats facing the state.
The statement urged Bwacha to explain how he would prevent attacks on vulnerable communities, strengthen intelligence gathering and improve the operational capacity of security agencies if elected governor.
“Criticising an incumbent is a legitimate part of democratic politics, but criticism without a credible alternative offers little reassurance to citizens concerned about their safety,” it added.
The council further urged the opposition candidate to provide a detailed and practical security plan that residents could assess.
“Bwacha should stop playing politics with security and show Tarabans his blueprint. The people deserve more than accusations and political theatrics; they deserve credible plans, accountable leadership, and sustained action to protect their lives and property,” the statement said.
The attack has renewed concerns over the safety of rural communities in Taraba, as residents and rights groups demand stronger protection and accountability for those responsible.
Separately, the Nigerian military said on Saturday that it had killed 15 suspected terrorists in an air strike in Borno State, part of the country’s ongoing fight against armed groups.
Nigeria has battled insurgency since Boko Haram launched its uprising in 2009, while armed gangs motivated largely by financial gain continue to attack communities in other parts of the country.