Twin Tragedies Hit Zamfara: Bandits Storm Mosque, Gold Pit Collapses

By ABDUL AHMED (A.A.) RUFUS

ZAMFARA State was rocked by two deadly incidents on Friday. In Yandoto village, Tsafe LGA, bandits attacked a mosque during dawn prayers, killing five worshippers, injuring several others, and abducting an unknown number before fleeing into the forest. Locals described the assault as “gruesome and terrifying,” noting it mirrored a recent attack in nearby Gidan Turbe, where nearly 40 worshippers were kidnapped.

Meanwhile, in Kadauri village, Maru LGA, a gold mining pit collapsed on Thursday, trapping scores of illegal miners. Locals estimate more than 100 people may have died. Rescue efforts have been slow due to poor ventilation, with reports that some rescuers suffocated while attempting to recover bodies. By Friday morning, eight victims had been retrieved and buried according to Islamic rites.

Both tragedies underscore the twin crises of insecurity and unsafe mining plaguing the state.