By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Armed bandits have abducted nearly 40 worshippers during dawn prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attack occurred around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, when the gunmen stormed the mosque, surrounded it, and herded worshippers away at gunpoint. The captives were marched to waiting motorcycles hidden outside the village and taken into the forests around the Gohori axis in Tsafe.
The incident comes barely a day after reports of truces between local leaders and armed groups in neighboring Katsina State, highlighting the fragility of ongoing peace efforts in the region. Over the weekend, notorious bandit leader Ado Allero and dozens of factions pledged to lay down arms in Faskari, Katsina, raising hopes of reduced violence.
However, sources said the fragmented nature of the groups undermines negotiations. “The bandits have no command, structure, or control. You can negotiate with bandits in Katsina while they continue to strike in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna,” a resident told journalists.
Eyewitnesses in Gidan Turbe described scenes of panic as worshippers scattered, but the attackers’ superior firepower and tactics—such as leaving motorcycles out of sight—ensured that many were captured. “They came silently on foot, surrounded the mosque, and took everyone before anyone could raise an alarm,” a local resident recounted.
As of press time, the Zamfara State Police Command had not issued an official statement. Community leaders have appealed for urgent intervention, warning that repeated attacks risk eroding trust in peace processes and deepening instability. Local vigilante groups are said to be mobilizing to track the assailants in the forests.
The abduction underscores the rising wave of bandit activities across the North West, where repeated attacks continue to expose the weakness of reconciliation efforts. Analysts caution that without a comprehensive strategy addressing root causes such as poverty, arms proliferation, and weak governance, truces may remain short-lived, perpetuating a cycle of violence that has displaced thousands and claimed countless lives.
