At least 37 people have been killed after suspected bandits attacked Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, leaving homes and shops destroyed.
The gunmen reportedly invaded the community on Friday, October 23, shooting at residents, looting food supplies from shops and setting buildings ablaze.
Although the initial death toll was put at 10, community leaders and youths later discovered more bodies while searching nearby bushes and rivers, raising the number of confirmed fatalities to 37.
The attackers are suspected to have entered Taraba from neighbouring Plateau State. Karim Lamido also shares borders with Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Nasarawa states.
The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah.
Police said the attack occurred around 3 p.m., shortly after Friday’s Jumu’ah prayers, when the assailants stormed the village with heavy gunfire and triggered panic among residents.
“The Taraba State Police Command regrets to inform the general public of an attack by suspected armed bandits on Binnari Village on 23 October 2026 at about 1500 hours, shortly after Jumu’ah prayers,” the statement said.
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According to the command, officers were deployed after receiving a report from the Officer-in-Charge of Binnari.
They recovered 10 bodies bearing gunshot wounds and handed them over to relatives for burial in line with Islamic traditions.
The police said additional personnel had been placed on red alert, while joint teams comprising tactical police units, the Police Mobile Force, conventional police, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies were sent to the area.
Taraba Commissioner of Police, CP Edwin Ogbegaghagha, directed the teams to sustain coordinated operations, prevent further violence and track down those responsible.
The command expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified reports and provide security agencies with credible information.
The state government had not issued an official statement on the attack as of Sunday.
The killings have renewed concerns about security in Karim Lamido and the protection of vulnerable communities from repeated attacks.