Tragedy struck the Unguwan Namama village in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Friday night, as armed bandits launched a deadly assault on a local mosque, killing one worshipper and abducting an unspecified number of residents.
The attack occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m. while worshippers were concluding their evening prayers. Sources report that the bandits laid siege to the perimeter of the mosque and opened fire on the congregation as they began to exit the building.
The deceased has been identified as Adamu Ibraheem. His relative, Abubakar Abdullahi, confirmed the harrowing incident in a statement made available to the press on Saturday.
“The bandits stormed the area and started shooting sporadically. It was pure chaos,” a local source stated. “They targeted the worshippers as they were leaving the mosque, leaving many with gunshot wounds.”
In addition to those abducted, several other villagers sustained varying degrees of injuries during the ensuing panic. They were reportedly rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are currently receiving emergency medical treatment.
This latest onslaught comes amid repeated assurances from the Kaduna State Government regarding significant progress in the fight against rural banditry and kidnapping. However, residents of Giwa LGA expressed renewed fear, noting that the brazen nature of the mosque attack suggests a deteriorating security situation in the fringes of the state.
As of the time of this report, the exact number of persons whisked away into the forest remains unknown. The Kaduna State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the casualty figures or the ongoing efforts to rescue the victims.
