Terror struck Marnona village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State at daybreak on Sunday, when armed bandits stormed a mosque, killing one worshiper and abducting several others in the middle of morning prayers.
Eyewitnesses say the attackers, wielding sophisticated weapons, fired indiscriminately, sending worshipers fleeing in panic. The chilling gunfire echoed through the village as families scrambled for safety.
Sokoto APC Chairman, Isah Achida, condemned the assault as “barbaric” and “an act of cowardice,” calling it a direct attack on both humanity and faith.
“The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and our people must remain united to defeat this menace,” he said, while assuring that the state government and security agencies are intensifying efforts to stamp out banditry.
Security sources suspect the attackers came from forest camps along the Sokoto–Zamfara border, notorious hideouts for armed gangs. They fled before security operatives arrived, leaving behind a shaken community still counting its losses.
The attack is the latest in a string of violent raids plaguing Sokoto East, where kidnappings and killings have become grimly routine. Police say investigations are underway, while local vigilantes join forces with security patrols to guard against further strikes.
For Marnona’s residents, the sanctity of dawn prayers has been shattered—replaced by the lingering fear of when the next attack might come.
