“Seven worshippers fell victim to a bandit attack at a mosque in Saya-Saya Village, Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The tragic incident occurred during Friday night’s Isha’i prayers. Among the victims, five were gunned down within the mosque, including a vigilante leader, while the remaining two lost their lives elsewhere in the village, according to an anonymous source.”
“Abdulrahaman Yusuf, the community leader, verified the incident, revealing that the vigilante chief in the village was among those who tragically lost their lives inside the mosque during prayer. Yusuf explained that the vigilante leader had been followed to the mosque, where he and others were fatally shot. He recounted, ‘We suspect they tracked down the vigilante leader to the mosque for the attack. We were in the midst of prayer when they arrived and opened fire. Five individuals perished within the mosque, and another person, a driver delivering food supplies to the village, also lost their life. The remaining victim was killed in a neighboring village.'”
Yusuf added that security has been beefed up in Ikara following the bandits’ attack.
This was just as he said that one of the victims with gunshot wounds had been rushed to the Aminu Kano Hospital in Kano State.
“Security forces, including soldiers and police from Ikara town and Palgore area, reached the scene at approximately 12:30 a.m. However, upon their arrival, the bandits had already departed the village.
Additionally, the acting Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Mansir Alhassan, confirmed the attack during a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Saturday. He disclosed that police personnel were deployed to search nearby bushes in an effort to apprehend the culprits responsible for this heinous act.
Alhassan also urged the public to promptly report any suspicious activity or the presence of unfamiliar individuals in their vicinity, emphasizing the need for swift police response.
The police chief attributed the unfortunate incident to the community’s failure to promptly notify the police about the presence of the bandits, which could have potentially thwarted the attack.”
According to him, the bandits were spotted in the village on surveillance earlier in the day but none of the villagers could alert the appropriate security agency before the hoodlums struck in the night.
“The Command is not happy with the situation,” he said, while adding that, “the bandits went to the village around 4 pm, buying things from the villagers. Seeing strange faces, the villagers are supposed to communicate with the police in the area.
“The Commissioner of Police is drawing the attention of the public that whenever they see strange faces, they alert security agencies that are close to them.
“The public should assist the police in giving them prompt information for quick response.”
