Armed bandits struck in the early hours of Monday, abducting no fewer than 40 worshippers during dawn prayers at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

 

According to community sources who spoke to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the assailants arrived at about 5:30 a.m., cordoned off the mosque and forced the worshippers at gunpoint into the nearby forests along the Gohori axis of Tsafe. The captives were reportedly whisked away before help could arrive.

 

The attack has plunged the community into panic and confusion, coming barely a day after reports emerged of ongoing peace deals between local leaders and armed groups across parts of the North West. These negotiations were intended to curb the incessant attacks that have terrorised rural communities.

 

Observers say the abduction underscores the fragility of the region’s peace efforts, as heavily armed criminal gangs—commonly referred to as bandits—continue to operate with little restraint despite dialogue initiatives.

 

“The bandits have no command, structure or control. You can negotiate with bandits in Katsina while they continue to strike in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna,” a local source told Makama, highlighting the difficulty of brokering any meaningful ceasefire.

 

The incident comes just days after Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, expressed frustration over the federal control of security agencies. Lawal had declared that he possessed the capacity to end banditry if security operations in the state were under his direct command, a statement that many saw as an indictment of the current security architecture.

 

As of press time, no group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, and security agencies have yet to issue an official statement. The mass kidnapping adds to a growing list of violent attacks that continue to destabilise communities in Nigeria’s North West, threatening both lives and the delicate peace

initiatives.