The death toll from an attack by gunmen on the remote village of Binnari in northeastern Nigeria's Taraba state has risen to at least 62. Ladan Ayuba, head of the National Emergency Management Agency in Taraba, confirmed the figure on Tuesday and said thousands of people had been displaced.
According to sources, the attackers struck on Friday, setting fire to homes, shops, food stores and motorcycles. Taraba police spokesperson Victor Mshelizah said officers were still on the ground and that the toll could rise as more bodies are recovered.
Amnesty International's Nigeria branch said the authorities were leaving rural communities in the north "at the mercy of gunmen", called for an impartial investigation and reparations for survivors, and said that bland statements of condemnation were not enough.
Nigeria has faced a security crisis for more than 15 years, since the Boko Haram armed group launched its rebellion. Attacks on civilians and kidnappings for ransom are common across the north, and profits from illegal mining have helped many armed groups buy weapons and recruit fighters.