Armed assailants unleashed terror across Katsina State on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, attacking a mosque, homes, and leaving a trail of death and abductions in their wake.
The most devastating incident occurred during Ishai prayer in Yargoje village, Kankara Local Government Area.
The Herald gathered that the gunmen stormed the mosque, spraying bullets at worshippers.
“They just walked in and started shooting,” recounted a witness who narrowly escaped the attack. Two people were killed right there, and another one was shot as he tried to run away. It was chaotic.
“The attack claimed the lives of three individuals and left four others injured. The injured are receiving treatment at a Kankara hospital. The gunmen also abducted a man and two women from the village.
“One of the victims, a man, tried to fight back, but they overpowered him and killed him,” the source lamented, adding that “they took the two women with them, and we don’t know where they are.”
Around 2:30 am on Thursday, the gunmen targeted the home of Sani Maikifi, a vigilante member in Ungwar Tudun Boka, Kankara.
However, Maikifi managed to escape through the backyard, but his family wasn’t as fortunate.
A source familiar with the incident claimed the attackers had been tracking Maikifi for some time.
“They’ve been after him for a while now,” the source told our correspondent.
“They came looking for him, but he managed to get away. So, they took his wife and son instead,” he revealed.
Adding to the night of terror, armed men also invaded Dangani village in Musawa LGA around 11:30 pm on Wednesday.
They fired gunshots, causing panic and chaos before abducting an unknown number of residents.
“They came shooting sporadically,” reported a resident who witnessed the attack.
“We heard they were after a rich man from the south who was here visiting a bereaved family member. They took many people with them,” he added.
The police are yet to issue a statement on the attacks.