Five worshippers were killed and several others injured when armed bandits attacked a mosque during early morning prayers in Yandoto village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Friday.
Our sources confirmed that the assailants stormed the mosque and opened fire indiscriminately, killing five people on the spot and leaving many others with gunshot wounds.
A resident, who spoke with Daily Trust under condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the attackers also abducted an unspecified number of worshippers and fled into the nearby forests.
Describing the incident as “barbaric and inhuman,” the source noted that some of the injured victims are currently receiving medical treatment and are responding well.
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This assault comes barely a week after a similar incident in Gidan Turbe village, also in Tsafe LGA, where about 40 worshippers were reportedly abducted during dawn prayers.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the attackers surrounded the mosques, seized the victims, and marched them into the forests—believed to be towards the Gohori axis of Tsafe, an area notorious for bandit hideouts.
In a separate tragedy, over 100 illegal miners are feared dead following the collapse of a gold pit in Kadauri village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Sources revealed that the pit caved in on Thursday, trapping scores of miners. Efforts to rescue those buried in the debris reportedly led to further casualties, as many of the rescuers suffocated during the operation.
So far, eight bodies have been recovered, all identified as residents of Mekwanugga village. The deceased have been transported back to their community for burial rites.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incidents.
Speaking to our reporter via telephone, Abubakar stated that the police had not yet determined the exact number of miners killed in the pit collapse, as rescue operations were still underway at the site.
“Even this morning, I learnt that, many bodies were received from the pit,” he said
Regarding the mosque attack, he said he had not yet been briefed by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.
[9/26, 12:10 PM] +234 814 590 1322: Ganduje gives Kwankwaso conditions for rejoining APC
From Sani Ibrahim Paki, Kano
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has said the party has no objection to the reported move by former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to return to the ruling party.
However, Ganduje emphasised that Kwankwaso must accept certain conditions before rejoining.
Daily Trust how credible sources confirmed that Kwankwaso has already initiated talks with the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, regarding his defection.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, Ganduje stated that the APC operates by rules and guidelines, and Kwankwaso must comply with them before being admitted.
“We’ve heard about Kwankwaso’s return plans. In democracy, the vote of a thief and that of a cleric carry equal weight. So we won’t shut our doors to anyone.
“Anyone who wants to join is welcome, but they must follow due process. We have rules and a constitution. If they return, we’ll welcome them, but we will name it for what it is: they’ve vomited and now they’re licking it back,” Ganduje said.
On the APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, Ganduje explained that it was convened to assess the reasons behind the party’s loss in the 2023 elections and to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his developmental efforts and appointments in the state.
“No rift between me and Tinubu”
Contrary to speculations, Ganduje dismissed claims of a fallout between him and President Tinubu, which some believed led to his resignation as APC chairman.
He affirmed that their relationship remains strong and has even grown stronger.
“Politics is layered. APC allocates positions across different geopolitical zones, and one zone may feel a certain position belongs to them. But since we’re not in politics for positions, if a role is assigned to another zone, we step aside. That’s not a big deal.
“The meeting we held was to thank President Tinubu. So the idea of a rift between us doesn’t even arise. There’s nothing between us but love. He’ll support us, and we’ll support him to reclaim Kano in 2027.”
Ganduje also confirmed that internal divisions within the APC in Kano have now been resolved, adding that the crisis was never as deep as it was portrayed.
