- Locals say at least 15 people were killed at a mosque in northwest Nigeria.
- Attack happened during Friday prayers at the Jumu’at central mosque in Ruwan Jema town.
- Locals said they gave bandits $21,000, gasoline, and cigarettes to get them to leave them alone.
At least 15 people were killed at a mosque in the Zamfara state of northwest Nigeria on Saturday, locals said.
Three locals told Reuters that the attack in the Bukkuyum local government area happened during Friday prayers at the Jumu’at central mosque in Ruwan Jema town.
Amimu Mustapha, a local resident, said, “The armed bandits came on motorbikes with guns in hand, went straight to the mosque, and started shooting at us at random.”
Another person who didn’t want to be named said that the attack happened around 2 p.m. local time and that many other people were hurt.
A spokesman for the Zamfara state police did not answer calls or text messages right away from people who wanted to confirm what the residents said.
In August, people from Ruwan Jema said they gave bandits $21,000, gasoline, and cigarettes, along with 9 million naira, so the men would leave them alone.
Locally called “bandits,” gangs of heavily armed men have been causing trouble in northwest Nigeria for the past two years. They have taken thousands of people hostage, killed hundreds, and made it dangerous to travel by road or farm in some areas.
Security forces are already working hard and are confused by the attacks. Last week, the military told people in Zamfara and two other states to leave forested areas because terrorists and bandits were going to be bombed.
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