Bandits on Saturday at 7:15 pm attacked a mosque in Maigamji village along Funtua – Dandume road when the Isha’i prayer was being observed.

A former councillor of Maigamji ward in Funtua LGA, Alhaji Lawal Maigamji, said that when the bandits came they opened fire and shot two people in the mosque, including the Imam leading the prayers, Malam Yusha’u and one other Hussaini Jamo. However, they are both receiving treatment at the General Hospital Funtua.

“They surrounded the mosque when Ishaa’i congregational prayer was being conducted, after shooting Imam Yusha’u and Hussaini Jamo, they abducted 18 people and made away with them into the bush,” Lawal Maigamji said.

He added that later in the night four of the abducted victims managed to escape from their captors while in transit.

In a related development at least 31 people were reportedly abducted in Karare and Kokiya villages of Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State in the early hours of Friday.

It was The terrorists, which were said to number about 40 riding on motorcycles, invaded the village where they killed one person and abducted the people including women and children.

gathered that some of the abductees were students heading to the Government Day Secondary School, Karare from Kokiya village.

As of the time of compiling this report residents of Karare and Kokiya villages were yet to ascertain the number of victims from Friday’s abduction.

Some residents who spoke to our reporter in Katsina expressed worry over the increasing spate of kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustlings and heinous killings of innocent people.

When contacted for confirmation, the police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said he would contact the DPO of the area and get back to our reporter.

However, while admitting the abduction of some residents the chairman Batsari Local Government area, Yusuf Yanji; however, refuted the allegations of the students’ abduction saying the story was unfounded.

He also expressed the commitments of Batsari local government administration and security operatives to secure the release of the victims. (Daily Trust)

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