Terrorists suspected to be bandits have attacked a mosque in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria, and abducted no fewer than 30 worshippers.
The bandits carried out the attack in the early hours of Thursday, February 29, 2024, in Tsafe town, the headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
It was gathered that terrorists parked their motorcycles outside the town and entered with Baba-Riga (native dress) so that people would not recognise them before abducting the worshippers who had converged to perform the dawn prayer (Subhi) around 5 am.
A resident who was an eyewitness said; “We were about to start the morning prayer today, Thursday, when suddenly they (bandits) entered the mosque and directed everybody to go out and follow them. Everybody scampered for safety, but the bandits blocked everywhere and warned us that they would kill anybody who tried to run away.
“I was able to jump out of the window and ran quickly into one of the uncompleted buildings near the mosque where I hid myself.”
He added; “They came on foot, leaving their motorcycles outside the town so that they would not attract the attention of the people of the area. They later marched the worshippers to their motorcycles and took them to the forest. The mosque was full when the bandits attacked the place and very few of us were able to escape.”
One of the community leaders, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the Community Protection Guards (CPG) have pursued the bandits to rescue the kidnapped worshippers.
Zamfara is among the states in northwestern and central Nigeria plagued by criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits. These groups terrorize villages by conducting raids, murdering and kidnapping residents, and looting and burning homes.
Operating from large forests spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, these gangs have become infamous for their mass abductions of students from schools in recent years.
The violence in North-West Nigeria initially stemmed from conflicts between nomadic herders and settled farmers over land and resources. However, it has escalated into broader criminal activities.
In response to these threats, communities have formed self-defense vigilante groups to safeguard villages. In retaliation, gangs carry out reprisals against rival communities, often resorting to mass abductions for ransom or as leverage.