Nigeria: Gunmen kill worshippers in Katsina mosque attack
The attack was likely a retaliatory act after locals ambushed and killed several armed bandits in the area.
Armed groups in northern Nigeria conduct raids, kidnappings, and extortions, worsening insecurity in poorly governed rural regions.
Gunmen attacked a mosque in the Nigerian town of Unguwan Mantau in Katsina state on Tuesday morning, killing at least 13 people during prayers, local authorities said.
The attack came days after both town residents and the Nigerian military were reported to have targeted armed group members.
The Reuters news agency reported that at least 27 worshippers had been killed in the mosque attack.
What happened in Katsina's Unguwan Mantau?
State commissioner Nasir Mu'azu said the gunmen struck while residents gathered for morning prayers.
He said soldiers and police had since been deployed to prevent further attacks.
Mu'azu said the mosque attack was likely in retaliation after Unguwan Mantau townspeople ambushed and killed several of the gunmen in the area over the weekend.
He added that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities.
A report prepared for the UN and seen by the AFP news agency described the assailants as 'armed bandits.'
It suggested the attack may have been retaliatory after Nigerian army troops repelled an attempted bandit attack nearby.
Nigerian authorities have at times turned to peace deals with armed groups when security forces could not defeat them militarily, including in Katsina state.
But officials in Malumfashi, the local government area where the mosque killings took place, had not entered into any truce agreement.
Witnesses reported that panic spread quickly through the farming community after the attack.
Why are these attacks happening?
For years, gangs known locally as bandits have targeted rural areas in northwestern and central Nigeria.
They raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom and burn homes after looting them.
The violence began as disputes over land and water between farmers and herders but has morphed into organised crime.
Cattle rustling, kidnappings and so-called taxes on farming communities now provide steady revenue to armed groups.
The insecurity is worsened by the limited presence of state institutions in mineral-rich but impoverished regions.
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Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Associated Press
Nigeria mosque attack death toll rises to 50, lawmaker says
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from a shooting at a mosque in northwestern Nigeria has risen to 50, a local official said Wednesday. Gunmen stormed the mosque in the town of Unguwan Mantau, in Katsina state, during morning prayers on Tuesday, according to lawmaker Aminu Ibrahim. 'The bandits killed 30 people and burnt 20 others during attacks on several villages,' Ibrahim told the state parliament on Wednesday. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Such attacks are common in Nigeria's northwestern and north-central regions, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. An attack last month in north-central Nigeria killed 150 people. The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms. On Tuesday the Katsina state commissioner, Nasir Mu'azu, said the army and police have deployed in the area of Unguwan Mantau to prevent further attacks, adding that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities. He said the mosque attack was likely in retaliation for a raid by Unguwan Mantau townspeople at the weekend when several gunmen were ambushed and killed. Dozens of armed groups take advantage of the limited security presence in Nigeria's mineral-rich regions, carrying out attacks on villages and along major roads. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence. Separate from the conflict between farming and herding communities, Nigeria is battling to contain Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast, where some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced, according to the United Nations.
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Washington Post
Nigeria mosque attack death toll rises to 50, lawmaker says
ABUJA, Nigeria — The death toll from a shooting at a mosque in northwestern Nigeria has risen to 50, a local official said Wednesday. Gunmen stormed the mosque in the town of Unguwan Mantau, in Katsina state, during morning prayers on Tuesday, according to lawmaker Aminu Ibrahim.
News24
16 hours ago
- News24
Nigeria: Gunmen kill worshippers in Katsina mosque attack
Gunmen attacked a mosque in Unguwan Mantau, Katsina, during morning prayers, killing at least 27 worshippers. The attack was likely a retaliatory act after locals ambushed and killed several armed bandits in the area. Armed groups in northern Nigeria conduct raids, kidnappings, and extortions, worsening insecurity in poorly governed rural regions. Gunmen attacked a mosque in the Nigerian town of Unguwan Mantau in Katsina state on Tuesday morning, killing at least 13 people during prayers, local authorities said. The attack came days after both town residents and the Nigerian military were reported to have targeted armed group members. The Reuters news agency reported that at least 27 worshippers had been killed in the mosque attack. What happened in Katsina's Unguwan Mantau? State commissioner Nasir Mu'azu said the gunmen struck while residents gathered for morning prayers. He said soldiers and police had since been deployed to prevent further attacks. Mu'azu said the mosque attack was likely in retaliation after Unguwan Mantau townspeople ambushed and killed several of the gunmen in the area over the weekend. He added that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities. A report prepared for the UN and seen by the AFP news agency described the assailants as 'armed bandits.' It suggested the attack may have been retaliatory after Nigerian army troops repelled an attempted bandit attack nearby. Nigerian authorities have at times turned to peace deals with armed groups when security forces could not defeat them militarily, including in Katsina state. But officials in Malumfashi, the local government area where the mosque killings took place, had not entered into any truce agreement. Witnesses reported that panic spread quickly through the farming community after the attack. Why are these attacks happening? For years, gangs known locally as bandits have targeted rural areas in northwestern and central Nigeria. They raid villages, kidnap residents for ransom and burn homes after looting them. The violence began as disputes over land and water between farmers and herders but has morphed into organised crime. Cattle rustling, kidnappings and so-called taxes on farming communities now provide steady revenue to armed groups. The insecurity is worsened by the limited presence of state institutions in mineral-rich but impoverished regions.
