86
By Oscar Okhifo
At least five worshippers were on Friday morning killed when armed bandits stormed a mosque in Yandoto village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, during early morning prayers.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers opened fire on worshippers observing the dawn prayers, killing five people instantly and leaving several others injured.
A man who identified himself simply as Danasabe said, “I narrowly escaped but, my brother was shot. He is among those in the hospital. We thank Allah that they did not sorround the Mosque. Otherwise, they would have shot me as I dashed out from another exit point.”
Also speaking, a middle aged man, “Early morning prayers have become so called Abdullahi said, “Morning prayers are now very dangerous. No one is sure if he will return alive. But, it’s our faith. We must practice it as Allah instructs” Said Abdullahi. Who was among the lucky ones.
“How long will this continue? Not even armenesty and the peace moves from the Governor has pacified these people. What do they want? What have we done?”
Some of the injured are currently receiving treatment and are reportedly responding well.
The gunmen, who operated for several minutes, also abducted an unspecified number of worshippers before retreating into the nearby forest.
The police in Zamfara are yet to release an official statement on the incident, as reports indicate that the command had not been fully briefed by its local division at the time of filing this report.
The Friday attack comes just days after another mosque invasion in Gidan Turbe, also in Tsafe Local Government Area, where about 40 worshippers were abducted during dawn prayers.
In that earlier case, the assailants reportedly surrounded the mosque around 5:30 a.m. before whisking away the captives into forests in the Gohori axis.
The incident underscores the persistent wave of banditry and mass abductions that has turned Zamfara into one of the hardest-hit states in northern Nigeria, with communities repeatedly targeted despite ongoing security operations.
Questions persist over the effectiveness of the military campaigns, which many Nigerians believe are not fierce enough.
When, they ask, will the Nigerian state unleash its full might on these agents of horror? Critics argue that the more the Governors of Katsina and Zamfara negotiate with the killers, the more they embolden them to kill and abduct, leaving citizens to wonder why state actors have refused to balance the terror and deliver lasting peace in the troubled region.