Amnesty International says at least 40 people were killed when gunmen attacked Binnari village in Nigeria’s Taraba state on Friday, October 23.

The rights group’s statement on Saturday said additional bodies had been recovered after police initially reported 10 deaths. That earlier police figure and Amnesty’s later estimate describe different reporting stages; the higher total remains attributed to the rights group.

Police said a large group of armed men entered the village with heavy gunfire and looted food from shops, according to Reuters. The agency’s October 24 report places the attack on Friday afternoon.

Amnesty’s statement identifies the community as Binnari in Karim Lamido local government area. It also reports homes, shops, food supplies and motorcycles being burned, with residents still missing.

The organization called for an impartial investigation, protection for rural communities and reparations for survivors. Its statement criticizes the authorities’ response to recurring attacks; those assessments are Amnesty’s.

The accounts reviewed do not establish who carried out the attack or a specific motive.

Sources: Reuters report and embedded Amnesty International Nigeria statement, October 24; Amnesty’s original statement.

Editorial illustration of a rural community and damaged market shelter; not a depiction of the actual attack.