Gunmen Kill 13 Worshippers in Katsina Mosque Attack

By Diafa Doubra,

A quiet morning turned tragic in Katsina State on Tuesday when gunmen stormed a mosque in Unguwan Mantau village, Faskari Local Government Area, killing at least 13 worshippers and leaving several others injured.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, surrounded the mosque during dawn prayers and opened fire on the congregation. Panic quickly spread through the community as residents fled for safety while the gunmen unleashed terror.

Security sources suggest that the assault may have been a reprisal attack. Only a few days earlier, local vigilantes and villagers had reportedly resisted and repelled some of the same armed groups in the area, leading to the deaths of several bandits.

The Katsina State Government has condemned the killings, describing them as “barbaric and inhuman.” Authorities confirmed that security forces, including soldiers and police officers, have been deployed to the scene to prevent further bloodshed and restore calm in the area.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Katsina like several other states in Nigeria’s northwest has suffered repeated raids by bandits who target rural communities, often killing residents, kidnapping for ransom, and rustling cattle.

Residents of Unguwan Mantau are now living in fear, with many families grieving the loss of loved ones. Community leaders have appealed to the federal government for stronger security measures, stressing that ordinary citizens remain vulnerable to violent attacks.

This latest incident underscores the ongoing security challenges in northern Nigeria, where banditry and terrorism continue to claim lives despite government efforts to combat them.