Three villages in Zamfara state were on Saturday raided by bandits, leaving seven people dead and seven in hospital, an official said.
The area sees frequent clashes between criminal gangs and vigilante groups.
“A group of gunmen launched coordinated attacks on neighbouring Makera, Azuko and Usu villages and killed seven people,” state communications director, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji said.
“Seven people were also injured in the attack and are receiving treatment in hospital.”
He added: “The gunmen opened fire on worshippers in mosques shortly before the morning prayers around 5:30 am.”
Makera resident Aliyu Sahabi said a vigilante group pursued the assailants, and its leader and his son were killed in an exchange of fire.
A nurse in a nearby public hospital confirmed that the hospital’s morgue had taken in seven corpses with bullet wounds.
In October, bandits killed 20 people in another Zamfara village, grabbing money and property as they fled.
But Birnin-Magaji said the assailants did not steal anything in Saturday’s raids.
“It was sheer barbarism and murder with no purpose other than to kill, because they did not ask for money and did not take anything from the villages they attacked,” he said.
The rise of vigilante groups in response to banditry has caused a spiral of violence in the region. [PMN]
when will all these evil atrocities stop?