Massacre in Taraba: Death Toll Soars to 48 as Fleeing Villagers Drown in Desperate Escape

Massacre in Taraba: Death Toll Soars to 48 as Fleeing Villagers Drown in Desperate Escape

 

JALINGO, Taraba State — A horrific wave of bloodletting has swept through Binnari village in Taraba State, leaving at least 48 people dead in its wake, police confirmed on Sunday. The grim discovery followed a terrifying four-hour rampage by gunmen that forced panicked residents into a nearby river, where dozens drowned in a desperate bid to escape the slaughter.

 

The death toll has continued to climb as search parties comb through the surrounding bushes and riverbanks, with rights group Amnesty International warning that as many as 52 people may have been killed in the attack on the Karim Lamido area community.

 

According to the Taraba State Police Command, the nightmare unfolded shortly after midday prayers on Friday when a heavily armed gang swooped into the remote village. The assailants—reportedly riding a convoy of about 50 motorcycles—unleashed terror, looting shops and setting homes ablaze during an orgy of violence that lasted up to four hours.

 

Taraba State Police spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the escalating toll on Sunday. He revealed that while the initial recovery yielded 10 bodies bearing gunshot wounds, the weekend search uncovered a far more macabre scene. Mshelizah stated that several victims, including women and children, had drowned in a nearby river while frantically trying to outrun the attackers, while others were found executed in the surrounding undergrowth.

 

“The attackers were very familiar with the terrain, which made immediate pursuit difficult,” Mshelizah said, noting that police were only able to disperse the gunmen after they had already fled the scene.

 

However, the official police account conflicts sharply with the chilling testimonies of survivors and the findings of human rights organizations. Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, stated that the organization had independently verified 52 deaths, adding that 37 victims had already been hurriedly buried in a mass funeral by grieving families.

 

Community leader Malam Abubakar Saifullahi described the sheer scale of the assault, revealing that the bandits, traveling two per motorcycle, methodically looted shops for cash and foodstuffs before seizing the motorcycles abandoned by fleeing residents.

 

The most harrowing accounts come from those who survived the chaos. Resident Bashir Mamuda Musa provided a devastating timeline of the recovery effort: “On Friday, we found seven bodies after the bandits attacked our community. The following day, Saturday, we discovered another 43 bodies in the river, bringing the total to 50.”

 

Survivor Isiyaku Musa recounted the sheer panic that drove villagers toward the water. “People were running in different directions to escape the attack. Nobody knew where it was safe to go,” he said. The mass drowning occurred as dozens of terrified residents fled toward the river, only to be mercilessly pursued into the water by the advancing gunmen.

 

The brutal massacre has drawn fierce condemnation from rights groups, who accuse authorities of systemic failure. In a blistering post on X, Amnesty International stated: “The consistent failure of the authorities to bring the suspected perpetrators to justice is clearly emboldening impunity.”

 

The Binnari bloodbath underscores the worsening security crisis plaguing Nigeria’s rural heartlands. Criminal gangs—locally known as bandits—continue to operate with devastating impunity across regions bordering the northeast and central zones, leaving a trail of death, abduction, and destruction.

 

As security forces continue to comb the grim landscape, authorities have warned that the final death toll may rise even further once all missing persons are accounted for.

 

 

Massacre in Taraba: Death Toll Soars to 48 as Fleeing Villagers Drown in Desperate Escape