By Seyi Odewale
Five Muslim worshippers have been killed in a fresh terrorist attack on a mosque in Kebbi State, underscoring growing concerns over renewed assaults on religious centres in northern Nigeria, days after a similar deadly incident in Adamawa State.
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed that the attack occurred on Wednesday night at about 8:30 p.m. in Dadin Kowa community, Maiyama Local Government Area, when gunmen stormed a mosque during Taraweeh prayers, a special prayer observed by Muslims during Ramadan.
Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Bashir Usman, in a statement issued Thursday, said suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group carried out the assault, killing five worshippers and injuring three others.
According to him, the attack was believed to be a retaliatory strike linked to recent military offensives against the group.
He said, “Suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group carried out the attack during Taraweeh prayers.”
Usman added that the assailants opened fire on the congregation before fleeing into nearby bushes ahead of the arrival of security forces.
He described the incident as a reprisal, stating that “five worshippers lost their lives while three others sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.”
The police spokesman said joint security teams comprising the police, military, and local vigilantes had since been deployed to the community to restore calm, prevent further attacks, and track down the perpetrators.
He said the command condoled with the bereaved families and the Maiyama community over what he described as a tragic and senseless loss of innocent lives.
Residents, however, linked the attack to recent security crackdowns on Lakurawa hideouts in the area, including a failed ambush targeting a military commander’s convoy, which reportedly led to casualties among the insurgents.
The Kebbi mosque attack came barely two days after suspected terrorists killed worshippers in Adamawa State under similar circumstances, highlighting a disturbing pattern of assaults on religious gatherings during the Ramadan period.
On Tuesday, gunmen attacked worshippers in Adamawa, leaving several people dead and others injured, in an incident that triggered outrage and renewed fears over the vulnerability of soft targets, particularly places of worship.
Security analysts warn that such attacks are often carried out in retaliation for military operations and are designed to spread fear among rural communities and undermine public confidence in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
The latest violence also followed recent attacks in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State, where suspected Lakurawa fighters reportedly killed dozens of residents, further escalating insecurity in the State.
The Lakurawa group, which has become increasingly active in parts of Kebbi and neighbouring states, has been linked to a series of killings, ambushes, and raids on rural communities in recent months.
