Death Toll From Gunmen's Attack on Binnari Village in Nigeria's Taraba State Rises to 62

The death toll from an attack by gunmen on the remote village of Binnari in Taraba state, northeastern Nigeria, has risen to at least 62, the country's national emergency agency has confirmed.

Ladan Ayuba, head of the National Emergency Management Agency in Taraba state, said on Tuesday that thousands of people had been displaced by the raid.

According to Amnesty International's Nigeria branch, bandits targeted Binnari village on Friday, setting fire to homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles.

Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah told The Associated Press: 'We still have men on the ground, and the more we recover bodies, we will put them in account.'

Nigeria is in the midst of a security crisis that began more than 15 years ago when the Boko Haram armed group launched a rebellion against the government. Civilians are regularly attacked and kidnapped for ransom by bandits in the north of the country, the report said.

In a statement, Amnesty International Nigeria said the authorities' efforts to protect civilians were inadequate. It said: 'The Nigerian authorities continue to leave rural communities in some parts of the north at the mercy of gunmen that repeatedly commit atrocities with impunity.'

Amnesty also said this attack must be investigated impartially, while survivors must be provided with adequate reparations. Issuing bland statements condemning these horrific attacks is not enough, it said.

Many armed groups in Nigeria control illegal mining sites, the report said. Profits from these operations have increased their power by allowing them to purchase more arms and recruit more members. According to the Institute for Security Studies, the situation has led to an increase in arms smuggling and violence across the country and the wider Sahel region.