At least 30 individuals have lost their lives in an assault on a mosque located in northwestern Nigeria, with an additional 20 reportedly killed in adjacent villages, as per local residents and officials. The attack occurred on Tuesday in Unguwar Mantau, a town within the Malumfashi district of Katsina state, during the early morning prayers.
A conflict monitoring organization initially reported the death toll as 13; however, local resident Nura Musa informed AFP that the number has since increased. “Nine worshippers were killed immediately, and many others succumbed throughout the day. The current toll is 32,” he stated on Wednesday. Lawmaker Aminu Ibrahim informed the Katsina House of Assembly that 30 individuals had been killed, with 20 more burned alive in assaults on surrounding villages.
What prompted the attack on the mosque?
Residents suggested that the killings might have been a retaliation following an ambush by local vigilantes against a bandit group over the weekend. Musa mentioned that the vigilantes, who routinely patrol villages to prevent raids, had arrived at the mosque at dawn after completing their night watch.
“While they were praying, the bandits executed a surprise assault on the mosque. They opened fire on the worshippers and then fled,” he recounted.
The bandits also targeted other nearby towns and abducted “several individuals,” Musa added.
Understanding the origins of Nigeria’s banditry crisis
Criminal organizations, referred to locally as “bandits,” have for years exploited rural communities in Nigeria’s northwest and central regions. What began as conflicts between herders and farmers over land and water resources has evolved into organized crime, with groups involved in cattle rustling, kidnappings, and the extortion of farmers.
Authorities in Katsina and neighboring states have negotiated peace agreements with certain groups; however, these truces have often failed. Bandits frequently retain their weapons, utilize agreements to establish safe havens, and persist in their attacks in areas not covered by the agreements. In Birnin Gwari, Kaduna state, violence subsided following a truce in November, but conditions have deteriorated in Katsina and Niger states.
