Armed bandits killed 13 people during dawn prayers in Nigeria’s Katsina State on Tuesday, in what officials described as a revenge attack.
The attack occurred at Unguwan Mantau in Malumfashi Local Government, where gunmen stormed a mosque and opened fire on worshippers performing the Fajr prayer, said Dr Nasir Muazu, Katsina’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs.
Authorities said the violence followed a confrontation two days earlier, when community members ambushed and killed several suspected bandits. “The incident was a reprisal attack,” Muazu confirmed, adding that the government had dispatched military and police units to track down the perpetrators.
He said troops from the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base and police reinforcements were on the ground, with air support deployed to flush out the attackers who often take cover in crops during the rainy season.
The commissioner praised the resilience of local residents while pledging that the government would strengthen community-based security initiatives. “We are committed to fighting these bandits and ensuring safety across our communities,” he said.
The state government also conveyed its condolences to the bereaved families.
