Gunmen kill five, abduct 18 in Zamfara mosque

The Zamfara State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the killing of five persons and abduction of 18 others by gunmen at a mosque in the state.

About 100 cattle rustlers operating on motorcycles were said to have opened fire on a Muslim congregation in remote Dutsen Gari village in Maru district as residents were observing the weekly Friday prayers.

The spokesman of the state police command, Mohammed Shehu, confirmed the incident.

He said: “The bandits killed five worshippers and kidnapped 18 others, including the imam.’

Read also: 99% of bandits killing, kidnapping people in Katsina are from Zamfara —Gov Masari

Residents, however, said more than 30 worshippers were abducted by the hoodlums.

A resident, Ibrahim Altine, told journalists that the gunmen took away at least 30 people.

He said: “The gunmen attacked the mosque while the imam was delivering the sermon and took away more than 30 people, including the imam, after shooting dead five worshippers.”

Zamfara, parts of the North-West and North-Central had become the hotbed of bandit operations, raiding villages, stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom, and burning homes after looting food supplies.

The bandits are believed to maintain camps in the Rugu forest which straddles Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger States from where they launch attacks on harmless residents

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