- They invaded the mosque and at around 5 a.m. and opened fire on the worshippers inside the mosque.
At least thirteen persons were brutally gunned down by terrorists during a deadly attack on a mosque in Katsina State on Tuesday morning.
The incident happened when the Muslim faithful gathered to observe dawn (Fajr) prayers at Unguwan Mantau village in Malumfashi Local Government of the State.
They invaded the mosque and at around 5 a.m. and opened fire on the worshippers inside the mosque.
Dr Nasir Mu’azu, Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, confirmed the incident to newsmen.
According to him, the attack may be a reprisal attack for a recent ambush by villagers on a bandit group in the area. In that incident, several bandits were killed, kidnap victims were rescued, and weapons were recovered.
“The victims were observing prayers when the criminals started shooting sporadically,” Mu’azu said, adding that security personnel from the army, police and air force had been deployed to the area to restore calm.
He noted that during the rainy season, bandits often take advantage of tall crops to hide their movements and launch surprise assaults.
The state government commended the courage of local residents who have resisted criminal gangs but urged closer coordination with security agencies to avoid further bloodshed. Authorities have promised additional reinforcements to safeguard vulnerable farming communities.
Katsina, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been a hotbed of banditry and violent attacks in Nigeria’s North-West, with armed groups engaging in mass abductions, extortion, and deadly raids despite ongoing military operations.