Death toll rises to 50 after remote village attack

The death toll from Friday's attack on a remote village in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Taraba has risen to at least 48, police have told BBC News. The police had initially reported 10 deaths after unidentified gunmen on motorcycles raided the village of Binnari, looting shops and setting houses ablaze. More bodies were discovered yesterday, according to state police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah, who said some of the victims had drowned while trying to escape the attackers while others were killed in nearby bushes. Meanwhile, Amnesty International's director for Nigeria said his organisation had confirmed 52 deaths, citing sources on the ground and members of the local community. The attack happened just after midday Muslim prayers, and the rampage went on for up to four hours. State police had initially recovered 10 bodies with gunshot wounds after officers responded to a distress call. Amnesty's Nigeria director Isa Sanusi has called for an impartial investigation into the killings, accusing the authorities of leaving rural communities ‘at the mercy of gunmen that are repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity’. Parts of north-eastern Nigeria have been affected by years of violence involving jihadist groups and armed gangs, which raid communities, abduct residents and demand ransoms. Similar armed groups operate in the country's north-west and central regions. The latest attack comes as Nigeria prepares for elections next year, with insecurity expected to feature prominently in political debates.

Full BBC News report