By Aisha Muhammad Magaji
Gunmen on motorcycles stormed a mosque during Friday prayers in Ruwan Jema town, Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing at least 15 worshippers and wounding several others.
Witnesses said the attackers concealed their rifles under their clothes and mingled with the congregation before suddenly opening fire. The violence erupted during the Jumu’ah prayer, throwing worshippers into panic.
A local resident, Usman Lawal, described the moment the gunmen struck. He said, “We were observing the last Raka’at when suddenly they started firing. Pandemonium broke out as everyone ran for their lives.”
Another witness, Amimu Mustapha, said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and immediately headed into the mosque. He explained, “They moved straight to the mosque and began to shoot sporadically at us.”
Several people were also injured in the stampede that followed, while others were reported missing. Residents said bodies were later recovered from nearby farms and forests. Some of the injured were taken to local clinics for treatment.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Zamfara State Government nor the Police had issued an official statement confirming the exact number of casualties or the identities of the attackers.
Security analysts say the attack is part of a troubling trend of armed banditry in Nigeria’s North-West, where villages, farms, schools, and places of worship have been repeatedly targeted.
Community members have called on authorities to increase security presence in vulnerable rural areas and to ensure protection for worshippers, especially during Friday prayers.
