Four persons who were kidnapped from a mosque by gunmen on Saturday evening have been freed, according to Nigerian police in northwest Katsina state, while at least 13 others are still missing.
According to Gambo Isah, spokesman for the Katsina State Police, the majority of the worshipers still missing from the mosque attack are adult men.
He said that on Saturday night as people were praying, gunmen on motorbikes stormed the mosque in Funtua, roughly six hours north of Abuja.
The Imam and another victim were both shot by the assailants.
According to Isah, the two are doing okay and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
He explained that on that particular day, believers were doing their nightly closing prayers.
Before our police squad arrived, the thugs had already made off with a few worshipers. However, a successful joint police-vigilante operation tracked out the terrorists, and around four of the victims were saved.
We are now searching for roughly 13 worshipers.
More than 40 persons were reported missing by the local media.
The attack on the mosque is the most recent in a string of kidnappings for ransom that northern Nigerian authorities have failed to put an end to.
Attacks have put more on on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to strengthen security in advance of elections to determine his successor in February.
The night of March 28, when gunmen struck, train service was interrupted after nine passengers were killed and 62 others were kidnapped.
Through negotiations, the detainees were gradually released in groups, with the final release taking place in October.
