At least ten people died on Saturday night in an attack by an armed group against a mosque in the state of Katsina, in northern Nigeria, several witnesses reported to the EFE agency on Sunday.
Alhaji Suleiman Habibu, a community leader in the village of Maigamji, in the city of Funtua, told the attackers that the attackers entered the mosque during the evening prayer (“Isha”) around 8:00 p.m. local time. (7:00 p.m. in mainland Portugal). ).
“Many worshipers ran to safety during the attack. Unfortunately, ten people were shot dead, including imam Alhaji Yishau,” Habibu said by phone, adding that an unspecified number of people were kidnapped.
According to Usman Ali, another resident, the attackers arrived on motorcycles, “surrounded the mosque and started shooting” at the people there. “Some worshipers managed to escape, but the imam and others were killed. Ten bodies were recovered from the mosque and buried,” he added.
A third neighbour, Lawal Maigamji, confirmed the theft, stating that 18 citizens were abducted. “The imam and some faithful were killed. The attackers also took 18 people. We hope they return safely, ”he confessed.
In a statement, Katsina police spokesman Gambo Isah reported the incident today but said only two people were injured. “Terrorists also kidnapped some people that night, but a mixed team of police and vigilantes (in collaboration with security forces) rescued two victims” and four others on Sunday, according to the spokesman.
However, it is customary for the police to hide the real number of victims of attacks of this nature to give the impression of less seriousness in the face of the insecurity that plagues the country. The central and northwestern states of Nigeria suffer frequent attacks.
Violence continues in the country, despite repeated promises by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to end the problem and deploy additional security forces to the region.
In mid-November, criminal groups kidnapped nearly a hundred people in various locations in Zamfara state, as well as in smaller villages.
This sense of insecurity has grown since 2009 due to the jihadist group Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria, and since 2016 by its descendant, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Source: TSF
