Police in Nigeria’s Taraba State said 10 people died in an attack on Binnari on Friday, Oct. 23, as residents were reported to have fled and local accounts cited a higher toll.
Taraba State Police Command spokesperson Victor Mshelizah said security personnel had been deployed. He gave the police death toll in a WhatsApp message to The Guardian. Binnari is in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area.
BusinessDay cited local accounts of 26 deaths, while Leadership reported that some residents feared the toll could reach about 30. Police have not confirmed either higher figure.
Residents were reported to have fled to neighboring communities. Local accounts described burned homes and destroyed food supplies, although the extent of the damage and displacement was not established. Residents also called on state and federal authorities to strengthen security around Binnari and provide help to displaced families, The Guardian reported.
Reports differed on when the attack took place: The Guardian and Premium Times placed it in the early hours of Friday, while BusinessDay reported it happened after Friday prayers. The Guardian also reported that some people were missing, without giving a number, and that police had announced no arrests by the time it published its report.
