Thirteen people have been held hostage by gunmen who attacked the mosque where they were gathered for prayers in Katsina state in northwestern Nigeria, police said on Sunday.
On Saturday night, gunmen “attacked the mosque in the village of Maigamji [dans le district de Funtua, NDLR] and kidnapped 19 worshipers after shooting and wounding the imam and another worshiper” during evening prayers, said Gambo Isah, a spokesman for the Katsina state police.
“Our men chased the bandits and managed to rescue six of the worshipers from their captors while efforts are underway to free the remaining 13,” he added.
The two injured people are receiving treatment at a hospital, the spokesman said.
strong insecurity
Criminal gangs known locally as “bandits” operate in northwestern and central Nigeria, terrorizing the population, attacking and looting villages and killing many residents.
These armed gangs also carry out numerous kidnappings for ransom, but they rarely target places of worship, but rather schools or travelers on the highways.
Hostages are usually released after paying a ransom to gangs who find refuge in the vast Rugu forest, which straddles the states of Zamfara, Niger, Katsina and Kaduna.
In November, 15 people were killed and several more injured in multiple bandit attacks on villages in neighboring Kaduna state, authorities said.
Source: BFM TV
