Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday, reportedly invaded Jumaat Mosque in the Zugu community of Gummi local government area of Zamfara State and abducted dozens of worshipers.
Residents said the armed men hid their guns inside their clothes and stormed the mosque when the Imam was about to start delivering sermon.
The intruders reportedly told those outside the mosque to go inside.
“When they laid siege, they asked those outside to go into the mosque told worshippers that they had come to negotiate the release of some captives with them.
“No one saw them with guns and many people mistook them for worshippers. Nobody paid attention to them because they hid their guns. However, shortly after they moved inside the mosque, they brought out the rifles and fired some warning shots. They herded the congregants in to bush but some of the worshippers managed to scramble out of the mosque to safety. The muezzin was among those kidnapped but the Imam was able to escape the assault.
“Some of those who were outside the mosque were also abducted because unknown to them that some armed men took positions outside. They fired several gunshots into the air and then moved to forest with the captives,” a resident who simply identified himself as Abubakar said.
Speaking with TheCable, Mohammed Shehu, Zamfara police spokesman, confirmed the attack on the village but said the command has not been able to ascertain if it was a mosque that was invaded as the community is in a remote location.
The spokesman said no one was killed in the attack, adding that the number of abducted persons is not yet known.
