Gunmen attack mosque, kill 1 and abduct 9 in Kaduna

Bandits have kidnapped nine farmers and attacked a mosque in different incidents in Kaduna State. This has left one person dead and three others hurt. In the first incident, six farmers were taken on Monday while working on their farms in Abashiya, near Iburu Village, in the Kufana District of Kajuru Local Government Area. A community leader said the attackers first took nine people but released three who were injured during the attack. The leader, who asked to remain anonymous, said the farmers were attacked around noon while they were working. He added that no contact had been made with the families of the victims and urged security agencies to act quickly to secure their release and prevent more attacks.

In another incident on Sunday night, suspected bandits raided a mosque in Unguwar Namama village, in the Kaya area of Giwa Local Government Area. They killed one worshipper, injured two others, and abducted three residents during evening prayers. Eyewitnesses said the attackers came on motorcycles and started shooting at worshippers during Maghrib prayers, which caused panic in the community. A community leader confirmed that one person died in the mosque while two others were hurt. A source suggested that the attack might be in retaliation for a recent military operation where troops reportedly killed several bandits in the area.

DSP Mansir Hassan, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, confirmed both incidents. He said security agencies have started efforts to rescue the kidnapped victims and restore peace in the affected areas. He mentioned that the mosque attack happened while worshippers were praying between Maghrib and Isha. He also noted that the affected communities share borders with Katsina State, which requires coordinated security measures. Hassan assured residents that they are working hard to track down the attackers and urged communities to keep providing useful information to assist security efforts against banditry in the state.