Zamfara mosque attack leaves five dead and 20 abducted, escalating fear in Tsafe LGA amid worsening security crisis

Zamfara mosque attack claimed five lives and left 20 people abducted in Yandoto town, Tsafe Local Government Area, on Friday morning.

Also read: Zamfara bandits kill operatives near Shinkafi in bloody ambush

The assailants struck while worshippers were performing their morning prayers.

Shehu Garba, an indigene of Yandoto, reported that heavily armed bandits surrounded the mosque around 5:30 am.

“They locked the mosque and began shooting those inside. Five people were killed instantly, several were injured, and more than 20 were abducted,” he said.

The injured are receiving treatment at a hospital in Gusau, the state capital, while the abducted victims remain in the bandits’ camp.

Yandoto town, located about 36 kilometres from the state capital, is the hometown of Senator Kabiru Marafa. Efforts to contact the state police spokesperson, ASP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to repeated calls.

This latest assault follows a similar attack in Gidan Turbe village, also in Tsafe LGA, where roughly 40 worshippers were abducted during prayers.

Earlier in July, 35 victims from Banga village in Kaura-Namoda LGA were reportedly killed after their families failed to pay a ransom of N35 million.

Tragedy also struck in Anka LGA in March when six Askarawa operatives and four local vigilantes were killed in an ambush shortly after a joint operation led by the Nigerian Army targeted criminals in Sunke Forest.

Also read: Zamfara Police confirm abduction of eight worshippers

The spate of attacks underscores the worsening security situation in Zamfara State, where banditry continues to terrorise communities, disrupt daily life, and threaten public safety.