The Police Command in Niger State has said that some unidentified gunmen had killed an unspecified number of people while observing their early morning prayers at a mosque, located at Mazakuka village, in Mashegu local government area of the State.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Monday Kuryas, who disclosed this to newsmen in Minna yesterday, said the hoodlums also abducted seven other worshipers at the mosque.
Kuryas said the incident occurred on Oct. 25 at about 0530 hours when the gunmen attacked the village, adding that the gunmen later destroyed property worth millions of Naira belonging to one Alhaji Abubakar Maigandus in the village.
According to him, a security personnel, however, shot dead one of the bandits, adding that the incident was understood to be a reprisal attack resulting from a long-standing communal feud.
He said that already additional armed security personnel had since been deployed to the area to ensure the arrest of the gunmen and all other miscreants undermining the peaceful co-existence among residents.
He urged the residents, especially those in the rural areas of the State, to come forward with reliable information that could aid the personnel deployed across the state to ensure the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in criminal acts.
“We are battle-ready to confront any form of criminal elements as long as good residents will volunteer credible information on the movement of dubious characters in their midst, Kuryas said.
