MAIDUGURI – The death toll from a deadly armed assault on a mosque and surrounding homes in Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, has risen to at least 50, with around 60 people abducted, according to officials and local residents on Wednesday.
The attack unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday in Unguwan Mantau, a remote community in the Malumfashi district. Worshippers had gathered for Fajr (dawn) prayers when heavily armed men stormed the mosque on motorcycles, opening fire on the congregation before moving through the village.
Local lawmaker Aminu Ibrahim, who represents Malumfashi, revealed that 30 worshippers were gunned down, while another 20 residents were burned alive in what he described as one of the most brutal assaults on the community.
READ MORE: Katsina Under Siege: Bandits Attack Mosque and Church, Governor Urges Federal Action
Police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu confirmed that security operatives intercepted the attackers and foiled a planned strike on two other villages. However, while retreating through Mantau, the gunmen indiscriminately fired at residents and torched homes before forces could regain control.
Survivors described scenes of horror, with women and girls dragged away by the attackers.
“They started shooting inside the mosque while people were praying,” said resident Muhammad Abdullahi. “My neighbour was killed. I was lucky I didn’t step out early.”
At the local hospital, Fatima Abakar, a senior official, reported that 27 corpses were formally recorded, though many families swiftly buried their loved ones in line with Islamic rites.
Northwest Nigeria has been plagued by violent raids from armed gangs locally referred to as bandits. These groups frequently target rural communities, highways, and farmlands—killing residents, abducting them for ransom, and burning homes.
The Katsina tragedy adds to growing concerns over rising insecurity in Nigeria, where thousands have been displaced in recent years due to escalating armed violence.
