Armed Group Attacks Nigerian Village, Killing 62

Criminal groups attacked villagers in eastern Nigeria, killing dozens and looting shops. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said thousands of people were also forced to flee the violence, AFP reported on Wednesday (28 October 2026).

“The attack claimed 62 lives and left 52 people injured,” NEMA said in a statement.

Armed men, believed to be a bandit gang, riding motorbikes stormed Binnari in Taraba State shortly after Friday prayers.

Taraba lies between north-eastern Nigeria, which has long been affected by a jihadist insurgency, and the unstable central region, where criminal groups known locally as “bandits” operate. These groups are motivated by financial gain rather than ideology or religion.

According to police, local residents and Amnesty International, bodies were found in bushes around the scene and in a river. The victims were believed to have drowned while trying to escape the attack.

“The incident is reported to have affected 7,123 people and displaced 5,187 residents, creating an urgent humanitarian situation in the community,” NEMA said.

The emergency agency said it was working with local authorities to assess the needs of residents displaced by the attack so that appropriate humanitarian assistance could be provided.

Banditry is an increasingly serious problem in Nigeria’s north-west and central regions. Powerful criminal groups regularly clash with police and military forces in hard-to-reach rural areas.

The bandits raid villages and impose illegal levies on farmers and mining activities in areas where the state has little presence.

In a post on X, Amnesty International blamed the Nigerian authorities for leaving rural communities at the mercy of armed groups that repeatedly commit atrocities without being brought to justice.