Dozens dead in Nigeria after gunmen attack rural town

Amnesty International Nigeria on Saturday strongly condemned an attack by gunmen who killed dozens of people Friday in a rural community in northeastern Nigeria. The gunmen killed at least 62 people in the Binnari community located in the Karim-Lamido local government area of Taraba state, according to the Associated Press.

Several gunmen killed people at random and burned homes, shops, and motorcycles, according to Amnesty International Nigeria. The human rights group said the community was lined with dead bodies, some burnt beyond recognition, with many people still missing following an attack that showed disdain for the sanctity of human life.

A group of lawmakers, the Northern Senators Forum, also condemned the attacks, according to the Nigerian Television Authority. In a condolence message from the group, Sen. Abdulaziz Musa Yar'Adua described the killing of Muslim worshippers, women, and children after midday prayers on Friday as shocking and inhuman, the television network reported.

The forum urged the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and others to strengthen security operations in Karim-Lamido and communities along the Benue River corridor, according to Punch. The senators also called on the country’s National Emergency Management Agency and well-meaning Nigerians to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence.

Have the attackers been identified? NEMA said the attack was carried out by criminals it described as bandits. They have not been arrested. Nigerian civilians are regularly attacked by so-called bandits, who carry out kidnapping-for-ransom schemes and control illegal mines. Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province are also responsible for attacking Nigerian citizens.

Amnesty International Nigeria said Nigerian authorities continue to leave rural communities at risk because they have failed to punish these attacks. The organization added that the consistent failure to bring criminals to justice has emboldened the criminals. It called for an impartial investigation and reparations for survivors.