Bandits kill five worshippers in Zamfara mosque

Bandits on Friday morning stormed a mosque in Yandoto community, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing no fewer than five worshippers and abducting several others.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the attackers opened fire during prayers, killing five people instantly before whisking away an unspecified number into the forest.

The killings triggered panic across the community, with residents later gathering for the funeral prayers for the victims.

“We pray Allah to forgive their shortcomings, accept them as martyrs, and bring an end to this bloodshed in our land,” a community elder said.

The assault occurred less than a week after gunmen abducted 40 worshippers during dawn prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, also in Tsafe LGA. Witnesses said the attackers surrounded the mosque around 5.30am, forcing worshippers out at gunpoint before marching them into the forest near Gohori.

The spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said he had not been briefed about the incident by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.