Gunman kill at least 20 worshippers inside Nigerian Mosque

Gunman kill at least 20 worshippers inside Nigerian Mosque

A gang disguised in police uniforms opened fire on worships at a mosque in northern Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least 21 people , officials and residents said.

The military and locals said the pre dawn raid in the village of Dogon Dawa in kaduna state was carried out by armed robbers engaged in running feud with a local vigilante group. Having been repelled by the community militia last week, the gang returned on Sunday, storming the mosque as people redied for early morning prayers, killing some victims inside the building and some outside.

Religiously divided kaduna has been rocked by waves of sectarian violence in recent months.

Suicide bombings at three churches in june that were claimed by Islamist group Boko Haram sparked reprisal violence by Christian mobs who killed dozens of their muslim neighbours, burning some of their victims of their bodies. Muslims also formed mobs and killed several Christians.

But military told AFP that Sunday’s shooting was a clear case of armed robbery, and described it was a “ revenge”.

Village resident Dauda Maikudi told AFP that thieves regularly target the area as Dogon Dawa lies not far from a main road used by traders carrying goods and cash between the north and south of Africa’s most popular country.

“It was pre-dawn raid” he said.  The attackers….some of them dressed in police uniform came into the village. They killed eight worships in the mosque and killed 13 other residents in the village.