At least 50 people have been killed and around 60 others abducted in a brutal attack by gunmen on a mosque and nearby homes in Nigeria’s northwest Katsina state.
The attack occurred early Tuesday in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau, in Malumfashi district, as Muslim worshippers gathered for Fajr, the dawn prayer.
Armed assailants arrived on motorcycles, opening fire inside the mosque before moving through the village, setting several homes ablaze and dragging away women and girls.
Survivors recounted harrowing scenes of the attack, with one resident saying, “They started shooting inside the mosque while people were praying. My neighbour was killed. I was lucky I didn’t come out early”.
The Katsina police spokesperson said officers intercepted the attackers and prevented a planned assault on two villages, but the attackers opened fire on residents while fleeing.
This incident highlights the growing insecurity in northwest Nigeria, where gangs, known locally as bandits, have been targeting villages and highways, abducting residents for ransom, and extorting farming communities.
