Key Takeaways
- At least 37 people killed after suspected bandits invaded Binnari community, Amar Ward, Karim II Constituency, Karim Lamido LGA, Taraba State on Friday, Oct 23, 2026 around 3pm shortly after Juma’at prayers.
- Attackers, numerous and suspected to have entered Taraba from neighbouring Plateau State, opened fire on residents, looted food items from shops and provision stores, and set several houses and shops ablaze.
- Taraba Police PPRO ASP Victor Mshelizah confirmed attack on Saturday Oct 24, saying 10 bodies recovered initially, but community leaders and youths searching bushes and rivers recovered 37 bodies — Channels TV confirms 37, Amnesty says 40, Leadership says children and elderly among victims.
Taraba State is in mourning.
At least 37 people have been confirmed killed after suspected bandits invaded Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State on Friday, October 23, 2026.
According to Channels TV and Taraba Police Command, the gunmen, said to be large in number and suspected to have crossed over from neighbouring Plateau State, invaded Binnari village in Amar Ward, Karim II Constituency, at about 3pm on Friday, shortly after Friday’s Juma’at prayers.
They opened fire sporadically on residents, looted food items and provision stores, and set several houses and shops ablaze, destroying foodstuffs worth millions of naira.
The death toll is conflicting but rising. Initial police statement on Saturday by Police Public Relations Officer ASP Victor Mshelizah said 10 bodies were recovered on Friday evening. But community leaders and youths who conducted further searches in surrounding bushes and rivers on Saturday morning recovered more bodies. Channels TV updated: “Although initial reports put death toll at 10, further searches led to recovery of 37 bodies.”
Amnesty International, in a statement quoted by Reuters, strongly condemned the attack: “At least 40 people were killed. The attack which took place on Friday 23 October 2026 shows utter disdain for the sanctity of life.” Leadership reports that children and elderly persons were among victims, while several residents fled and remain missing.
The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the attack in a statement issued on Saturday by ASP Victor Mshelizah. The Sun also confirmed at least 10 deaths officially, but noted residents fear more.
This attack is part of a worrying pattern. Karim Lamido LGA shares border with Plateau State, where banditry has spiked in 2026. Gunmen often cross from Plateau into Taraba’s border communities like Binnari to loot food ahead of dry season. Just last month, similar attacks were reported in Wukari and Donga LGAs.
Binnari is a farming community. October is harvest period — food stores looted means families lose not just loved ones but their entire year’s harvest. One resident told Channels: “They came after Juma’at prayers when men were still at mosque, women in market. They shot anyone.” Another said houses burnt with foodstuffs inside.
The discrepancy between police count (10) and community count (37-40) is typical in Taraba/Plateau attacks — police count only bodies recovered officially at scene, community counts bodies found later in bushes, rivers, farms.
