Worshippers kidnapped at mosque in Nigeria

Nigerian mosque worshippers kidnapped

Gunmen stormed a mosque in Nigeria during Friday prayers and kidnapped several worshippers, Reuters reported, citing police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun.

The incident reportedly took place in Niger state on August 21. The gunmen first attacked the villages of Gidan-Zana and Kpenya. They then stormed the Kpenya mosque in Dekara district at around 2 p.m. local time.

Abiodun said in a statement on August 22 that initial reports indicated no casualties and that a joint security team had been dispatched to the area to assess the situation and carry out rescue operations.

Police were unable to give an exact number of those kidnapped. However, local residents told Reuters that more than 60 worshippers had been abducted.

Mass kidnappings for ransom are common in the northwestern and north-central regions of Nigeria, where armed gangs, known locally as "bandits," regularly attack villages, schools and highways. For example, on August 3, gunmen attacked a village and a military base in Zamfara state, Nigeria, abducting at least 52 people, including children.