KEY POINTS

• Zamfara mosque attack leaves 40 worshippers abducted.

• Peace negotiations falter as bandits strike across states.

• Community fears deepen amid fragile security environment.

No fewer than 40 worshippers were abducted Monday morning during dawn prayers in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe, Zamfara State.

The attack began around 5:30 a.m., disrupting prayers, shattering the calm morning, and plunging the community into fear.

Witnesses said armed men stormed the mosque, surrounded worshippers at gunpoint, and forced dozens into the nearby forest.

Counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama reported the victims were moved toward Gohori axis in Tsafe, notorious for criminal hideouts.

Zamfara mosque attack rattles peace efforts

The incident occurred barely 24 hours after reports of peace deals in parts of the North West emerged.

Leaders in Katsina and other states have negotiated with bandit groups, but the Zamfara mosque attack exposed fragile progress.

Residents described the abduction as devastating, saying it deepened fears and worsened uncertainty in their already vulnerable community.

According to Business Day, Makama warned that weak command structures among bandit groups continue to undermine negotiations and weaken regional security efforts.

Zamfara mosque attack exposes weak negotiations

“Bandits have no command, structure or control,” one resident told Makama. “You can negotiate with groups in Katsina, yet they continue striking in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna.”

The abduction adds to a string of violent incidents that have plagued Zamfara and surrounding states, where armed groups operate across porous borders, making enforcement and negotiations difficult.