From Maiharaji Altine
Bandits have abducted scores of worshippers in one of the mosques in Tsafe town, the headquarters of Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state.
An indigene of the area Malam Garba told Analyzer News that, the bandits who were in large number invaded the mosque around 5 o’clock am of today Thursday when the people were about to start the morning prayer.
Garba said, ”We were about to start the morning prayer today Thursday when suddenly they (bandits) entered into the mosque and directed everybody to go out and follow them”.
“Everybody scampered for safety but the bandits blocked everywhere and warned us that they would kill anybody who tried to run away”.
“I was able to jump out of the window and ran quickly into one of the uncompleted buildings near the mosque where I hid myself”.
Garba maintained that, the bandits left their motorcycles far away from the mosque so that the worshippers would not notice their movement.
“They came on foot, leaving their motorcycles outside the town so that they would not attract the attention of the people of the area”.
“They later marched the worshippers to their motorcycles and took them to the forest”.
According to Garba, the number of the abducted worshippers could be more than 30.
He added that, “The mosque was full to capacity when the bandits attacked the place and very few of us were able to escape”.
One of the community leaders who spoke to Analyzer News on phone on condition of anonymity said, the Community Protection Guards have pursued the bandits in order to rescue the kidnapped worshippers.
Tsafe local government is one of the local government areas in the state worth hit by banditry.
Tsafe-Gusau road which is 56 kilometers has now become the most dangerous spot in the state where people are being kidnapped on daily basis.
Scores of bandits lost their lives few days ago within the local government when two rival groups clashed.
All efforts to get comments from the spokesperson of the state police command ASP Yazid Abubakar proved abortive, as he could not be reached on phone after several attempts.
