At least 37 people have been confirmed dead following an attack by suspected bandits on Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community on Friday, October 23, 2026, and opened fire indiscriminately, looted food items from shops and set several houses and business premises ablaze.
Although the initial death toll was put at 10, subsequent searches by community leaders and youths in nearby bushes and rivers led to the recovery of additional bodies, bringing the number of fatalities to 37.
The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the attack in a statement issued on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah.
According to the police, the incident occurred at about 3 p.m., shortly after Muslim worshippers concluded their Jumu’ah prayers.
The statement said the gunmen, who were large in number, invaded the village amid heavy gunfire, triggering panic among residents as they looted food supplies from shops.
The command said police operatives were immediately deployed to the community after receiving a report from the Officer-in-Charge of Binnari. The officers recovered 10 bodies bearing gunshot wounds at the scene.
The recovered bodies were subsequently handed over to their families for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
In response to the attack, the police said additional personnel had been placed on red alert, while joint reinforcement teams comprising tactical police units, the Police Mobile Force, conventional police officers, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies had been deployed to the area.
The deployment, according to the command, is intended to prevent further attacks, maintain public order and safeguard residents.
The Commissioner of Police in Taraba State, CP Edwin Ogbegaghagha, directed security operatives to sustain coordinated operations, track down those responsible for the killings and prevent a recurrence.
The command expressed condolences to the bereaved families and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
It also urged residents to remain calm, refrain from circulating unverified information and report suspicious movements or credible security intelligence to the nearest police station or relevant security agency.
The gunmen were suspected to have entered Taraba from neighbouring Plateau State. Karim Lamido LGA also shares boundaries with Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Nasarawa states.
As of the time of reporting, the Taraba State Government had yet to issue an official statement on the attack or announce additional security measures in response to the killings.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the security situation in Binnari and surrounding communities, which have previously been identified as areas of security concern, and the need to strengthen measures to protect residents from further attacks.
