Seven civilians have been slaughtered by suspected bandits when they attacked worshippers in a mosque at Saya-Saya village in Ikara local government area of Kaduna State
Five of the victims were gunned down in the mosque, while the remaining two were killed at different locations within the area, according to Dailytrust.
The incident reportedly occured around 8pm when the villagers were performing Isha’i (Sunset) prayers at a local mosque, sources said.
A resident of the village, Dan Asabe, said two other villagers who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The village Head, Abdulrahaman Yusuf, confirmed the incident, saying the head of the vigilante in the village was among the victims killed inside the mosque.
“We suspected they traced him (vigilante boss) to the mosque to attack him. We were inside the mosque praying when they arrived and started shooting. Five persons were killed at the mosque, while a driver who brought food items to the village was also killed. The other person was killed at a nearby village,” he said.
He said security agencies comprising soldiers and police from Ikara town and Palgore area arrived at the scene around 12:30am, but by then, the bandits had already left the village.
According to him, one of the victims with gunshot wounds was taken to Aminu Kano Hospital for treatment.
When contacted, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, Mohammad Lawal Shehu, declined comment, saying he will confirm the issue from the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.