At least 15 people have been killed in an attack by an armed group on the Jumuat Central Mosque in Ruan Gema town of Bukkuyum, Zamfara State, Nigeria. The attack happened last Friday (September 23) during Friday prayers. On Saturday (September 24), Reuters reported this information citing locals.
Amimu Mustafa, a local man, said, “The armed group members came on motorbikes and entered the mosque with guns and started shooting at us sporadically.”
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said the attack took place around 2 pm. Many others were injured in this attack.
Zamfara State Police spokesperson declined to provide any information on the matter. State police did not comment when contacted by Reuters.
Heavily armed men known locally as dakats have wreaked havoc across northwestern Nigeria in the past two years. They kidnapped thousands of people. It is alleged to have killed hundreds of people.
Last week, government forces warned residents of Zamfara and two other states to leave forest areas ahead of bombings and raids targeting bandits and terrorists. However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Locals complain that Nigeria, like neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso, has become a regular target of Islamic militant groups Al Qaeda and IS.
Note that since 2012 and 2013, terrorist groups have taken control of a large part of Africa. Since then the common people there are suffering from insecurity. Common people are getting killed in clashes with the army. Incidents like kidnapping, stealing cows and setting fire to houses are happening by terrorist groups raiding villages.