At least 40 worshippers were abducted during dawn prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State on Monday, shattering a recent peace deal with bandits in the Northwest.
The attack comes less than a month after Kurfi leaders in Katsina signed a pact with notorious bandit chiefs to end years of killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.
Local sources said the gunmen surrounded the mosque around 5:30 a.m. and whisked the victims into the Gohori forest.
They blamed the resurgence on lack of unified command among bandits, saying deals in Katsina do not stop attacks in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna.
Troops under Operation Fatan Yamman have since launched raids across Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara, ambushing fighters, foiling attacks, and recovering motorcycles and phones.
But the Gidan Turbe assault is seen as a major setback for peace efforts, fuelling fears that the fragile truce is collapsing. Military sources said clearance operations were still ongoing at press time.
