Armed bandits storms mosque, gun down 16 worshippers in Niger

Some daredevil gun men suspected to be armed bandits Wednesday stormed Ba’are village in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State killing 16 worshipers in the mosque.

The worshipers were killed while observing their early morning prayer (Subhi), when the gun men invaded the mosque with a warning that they should all remain in their respective positions.

It was gathered that the gun men came into the village on a large convoy of motorcycles wielding sophisticated weapons and took position at the entrance of the mosque before they embarked on killing the worshipers.

CAPITAL POST learnt that the mosque was filled to capacity when the gun men stormed the community and the worshipers were on the last raka’at of prostration when the gun men opened fire on them killing 16 of the worshipers on the spot while nine other sustained various degree of injuries.

The gun men, it was further gathered, on their arrival in the village converged at the entrances of the mosque and started shooting from all directions forcing the worshipers to scampered for safety.

An escapee who identified himself as Abubakar Salihu told CAPITAL POST that some of the worshipers managed to escape through the only entrance where the imam followed.

On his part, he was able to escape from the mosque, saying, that the armed bandits arrived the community at about 5.33 am on Wednesday, and opened fire on the worshipers who were almost on the raka’at of the prayer.

He said he was lucky to have escaped through the entrance where the Imam follow.

He said his father and two of his younger brothers were killed by the armed men and nine others sustained different gun wounds from the deadly attacks.

The activities of armed bandits is on the increase in Niger State in the last four years as their deadly attack on some communities has now becoming unabated.

For the second time in the last two months, some gun men stormed Mazakuka community in Mashegu local killing 26 worshipers in the mosque while observing their early morning prayers.

However, the commissioner of police in Niger State confirmed the report but said only nine persons were said to have been killed by the armed bandits.

He said the command has already mobilized his men to track down the assailants with the aim of bringing them to book.