Prominent Imam Killed, Others Kidnapped In Zamfara Fresh Bandits Attack

The Chief Imam of the Central Mosque in Keita village, Sheikh Ahmad Rufa’i, has been tragically killed by bandits.

A resident of the community, Ibrahim Musa Keita, who spoke to journalists on the latest attack, said the bandits attacked the village shortly after the night congregational prayer known as isha’i.

“Before the invasion, the residents were alerted about the movement of the bandits along Kwarin Gano-Keita Road. They were sighted along that road but we were not sure whether they would come to this village or not.

“Initially, they wanted to abduct road users along the Keita-Kwarin Gano Road, but after spending some time without getting a single person, they invaded Keita village, killed our chief imam and abducted scores of people, including women.

“We have not ascertained the number of people they have abducted as some people ran into the bush and have not been seen yet,” Keita told Daily Trust.

Naija News understands that the unfortunate incident occurred just three weeks after the murder of Imam Abubakar Hassan Mada, the Chief Imam of the Central Mosque in Mada, Gusau Local Government Area.

In a related development, two individuals were reportedly abducted in Magazu village in Tsafe LGA on Tuesday.

A local resident, Yusuf Ibrahim, disclosed that the bandits entered the village at approximately 3 am, firing shots randomly, causing most residents to flee their homes.

Furthermore, Aminu Kwalfada, a resident of the nearby Kwalfada village, expressed disappointment that the bandits’ actions had forced residents to refrain from using loudspeakers in their mosques during prayers.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Zamfara State Command, ASP Abubakar Yazid, acknowledged the incident and assured journalists that he would share information on the incident once he had gathered the necessary details.