Gunmen in northwest Nigeria attacked a mosque in Unguwan Mantau village, Katsina state, and killed a minimum of 17 Muslim congregants in what local authorities have termed a “reprisal attack.” Police confirmed the deaths, although other sources from the region indicate that fatalities could have been more.
Katsina state commissioner Nasir Muazu told the Associated Press that the attack was prompted by local citizens ambushing and killing several bandits two days before. The attackers opened fire during morning prayers, shooting “sporadically,” Muazu, commissioner of internal security for the state, said.
Attackers Still at Large
As of Wednesday afternoon, the gunmen remained at large, with police and military personnel deployed to track them down. Despite the deadly assault, Muazu reiterated the state government’s support for community-based security initiatives aimed at protecting residents in the volatile north-west region.
People in Unguwan Mantau have been mourning and nursing the injured. In accordance with local customs, relatives of the victims have been sitting outside their homes, accepting sympathy from sympathizers. The attack has reinforced the fears within an area long suffering from banditry, where armed groups frequently attack civilians for money.
National Outcry and Condemnation
Ali Isa Pantami, a popular Muslim cleric and former communications minister of Nigeria, condemned the attackers, saying they “betray the sense of humanity on earth.” Pantami urged security agencies to arrest the criminals and put an end to the “inhumanity and criminality of the highest order.” He labeled the killers as “heartless, malevolent, and worse than animals.
Katsina and adjacent Zamfara states are among the most affected in north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs have been crossing over from Niger to avoid apprehension. The area has experienced high fatalities and displacement from banditry. Only days ago, kidnappers in Zamfara allegedly kidnapped and murdered at least 35 individuals, even after ransom was paid.
The attack on the mosque highlights the security woes that continue to beset Nigeria’s north-west, the lethal side effects of banditry, as well as local retaliations, and the imperative need for proper intervention by the authorities.
