Gambo Issa, a spokesman for Kazina State, reportedly said that on the night of the 3rd, a group of militants attacked the Maigamji village mosque in Fontua County during evening service and abducted 19 Muslims after shooting and injuring imam and another believer.
He also said, “Our people have begun to hunt down the kidnappers and successfully rescued six people from them, while trying to save another 13 people.” He made it clear that the two injured were being treated in the hospital.
It is reported that some criminal gangs known as “bandits” in the area operate in northwest and central Nigeria. They intimidate the people, attack and rob villages, and kill many residents. These armed groups have also carried out multiple kidnappings to extort ransoms, but rarely target places of worship, but more at tourists on schools or roads.
It is reported that hostages are usually released after paying ransom to kidnapper gangs, who usually hide in the vast Rugu forest across Zamfara, Niger, Kazina and Kaduna regions.
According to the authorities, armed groups carried out several attacks on some villages in neighboring Kaduna State in November, killing 15 people and injuring several others.
