Gunmen in Nigeria’s state Katsina killed at least a dozen worshippers in a mosque including the chief imam after they opened fire and subsequently kidnapped several others, late Saturday, said a report by Reuters citing local residents. The state police confirming the attack said some people who were abducted were later rescued with the help of some residents.
The incident took place at the Maigamji mosque where gunmen arrived on motorbikes and started sporadically shooting which prompted the people gathered for night prayers to flee, said Lawal Haruna, a resident of Funtua to Reuters, on Sunday.
The local resident also said that at least 12 people were shot, including the chief imam. “They then gathered many people and took them to the bushes,” said another resident, Abdullahi Mohammed.
This is the latest attack by armed gangs also referred to as bandits who have previously killed and kidnapped people demanding ransom. The Katsina state police spokesman, Gambo Isah, confirmed the attack and said some worshippers were rescued with the help of some residents.
Notably, the Nigerian state is also among those that border with the neighbouring Niger, allowing bandits to move freely between the two countries. Furthermore, these gangs have also demanded that the locals pay a protection fee to be allowed to harvest their crops and farm.
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