Gunmen kill at least 13 worshippers in mosque attack in northwestern Nigeria

At least 13 people were reportedly killed after gunmen opened fire inside a mosque during morning prayers in Katsina state, northwestern Nigeria, on Tuesday, according to reports.

The incident took place in Unguwan Mantau town. While no group has claimed responsibility so far, such attacks are frequently reported in Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central regions, where disputes between farming and herding communities are common.

Katsina State Commissioner Nasir Mu’azu said security forces, including the army and police, have been deployed to the affected area to prevent further violence. He added that armed groups often conceal themselves on farmlands during the rainy season to stage attacks.

According to Mu’azu, the latest assault may have been carried out in retaliation, as residents of Unguwan Mantau had reportedly ambushed and killed several gunmen over the weekend.

Reports note that dozens of armed groups continue to exploit the limited security presence in Nigeria’s mineral-rich belt, targeting villages and major highways. Farmers frequently accuse herders, largely from the Fulani community, of destroying crops by grazing livestock on farmlands. Herders, in turn, argue that the areas are designated grazing routes established under a 1965 law, five years after Nigeria’s independence.

In addition to these recurring clashes, Nigeria is also grappling with a prolonged insurgency by Boko Haram in the northeast, which has reportedly claimed more than 35,000 lives and displaced over 2 million people, according to the United Nations.