The death toll from a mosque attack in northwestern Nigeria has climbed to 50 people, a local official confirmed today Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
Gunmen stormed the mosque in Unguwan Mantau, Katsina State, during morning prayers on Tuesday, according to state lawmaker Aminu Ibrahim.
Mass Casualties Reported
Ibrahim said that at least 30 worshippers were shot dead inside the mosque, while 20 others were burned alive during attacks on surrounding villages.
“There were multiple raids in which the bandits killed 30 people and burnt 20 others,” he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Escalating Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Armed attacks have become frequent across Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions. Local farming and herding communities often clash over land and water resources, fueling violence.
Last month, an assault in north-central Nigeria left 150 people dead. Analysts warn that the conflict has worsened in recent years, with more herders arming themselves.
Security Deployment in Katsina
Katsina State commissioner Nasir Mu’azu said the army and police have been deployed to Unguwan Mantau to prevent further attacks.
He explained that during the rainy season, gunmen often hide among crops to ambush farming communities.
According to Mu’azu, Tuesday’s massacre may have been a reprisal attack. Over the weekend, local residents reportedly ambushed and killed several gunmen in the same area.
Farmers-Herders Conflict
Dozens of armed groups operate across Nigeria’s mineral-rich northern regions, exploiting weak security presence to raid villages and highways.
Farmers accuse Fulani herders of allowing livestock to graze on their crops, while herders insist the lands are traditional grazing routes protected by a 1965 law.
This farmer-herder conflict has overlapped with other security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.
Nigeria’s Wider Security Crisis
Since 2009, Boko Haram and its splinter groups have killed an estimated 35,000 civilians and displaced more than 2 million people, according to the United Nations.
With rising casualties from both insurgency and communal violence, security forces remain stretched thin across Nigeria.
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