Terrorists attack mosque, abduct several residents in Zamfara

Terrorists on motorcycles attacked a Jum’at Mosque on Friday and abducted several worshippers in Zugu community of Bukkuyum area in Zamfara State.

Multiple local sources told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the terrorists did not kill any resident during the attack that lasted for over an hour.

The police in the state have confirmed the abduction but said they cannot confirm the number of those abducted.

During the attack, which began shorty before the arrival of the Chief Imam to lead the prayer, one person, Habibu Fada, was shot and has been taken to the hospital.

“He was shot while trying to run away when the bandits stormed the mosque. Unknown to him they had circled the mosque. They hate it when they ask people to gather in one place and one tries to run away,” his brother, Sheriff Fada told PREMIUM TIMES.

He added that he has was rushed to a medical facility in Gummi, after the bandits left.

Mr Fada said the gunmen abducted several residents, including his friends and brothers.

Another resident, Yasir Sahabi, said he was saved because he went late to the mosque.

“My friend, Usman Junaidu, has been taken by the bandits. He went to the mosque very early and I was even supposed to be with him but I don’t even know why I didn’t go as early as we used to. But while I was performing ablution to go, I heard gunshots, then saw people that had not reached the mosque, running. That was when I started running too,” Mr Sahabi said.

He said the deputy chief Imam, who conducted the pre khudba sermon and the muazzin (the prayer caller), were among those kidnapped.

Though the number of those abducted was yet to be ascertain as of the time of this report, a resident, Bashiru Dantanin, said 44 residents have not been accounted for since the attack.

Though some residents might have run into the bush for fear of being abducted, Mr Dantanin said the community is still compiling the names of those missing.

“So far, we’ve counted 44 people who are yet to be seen. Every family is affected in this attack,” he said.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Mohammed Shehu, confirmed the attack but said the number of those abducted or the place of the attack has not been ascertained yet.

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“We’ve received report of the attack and it confirmed that some residents have been abducted. The number of those taken has not been ascertained yet and we don’t know if was in a mosque or somewhere in the area but the most important thing is that there has been an attack,” he said.

He said the command has swung into action to rescue those abducted.

Zamfara State, considered the epicenter of terrorism in the North-west, has been witnessing renewed terror, and areas like Bukkuyum and Gummi are among the worse hit since January.