Mosque Attack in Katsina State, Nigeria (2025)

On 19 August 2025, an armed attack was carried out on a mosque in Katsina State, Nigeria. During morning prayers, armed individuals entered the mosque and opened fire, resulting in 50 people killed and 60 people abducted. The incident occurred within the context of ongoing armed gang attacks and farmer-herder conflicts in the northwestern region of the country.

Location and Timing of the Attack

The attack took place on the morning of 19 August 2025, around 04:00, during morning prayers, in the village of Unguwan Mantau, located in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State. Armed attackers opened fire on the congregation gathered inside the mosque, leading to numerous fatalities at the scene.

Deaths and Injuries

Following the incident, Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Nasir Muazu initially reported that 13 people had been killed. Subsequent official statements confirmed that at least 27 people lost their lives in the attack. Many others were injured and transported to hospitals. On 20 August, Malumfashi State House of Assembly member Aminu Ibrahim stated that the number of those killed in the armed gang attack on the mosque in the Mantau region had risen to 30. Aminu Ibrahim also reported that 30 people were shot dead while praying in the mosque and another 20 were burned to death in their homes.

During the attack, casualties were not limited to deaths; 60 people were abducted by the armed attackers. Katsina State Police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu stated that the assailants set fire to 20 homes in the village and forcibly took away many residents.

Background of the Incident

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it has been assessed within the broader context of widespread armed gang violence and disputes over land and water resources between farmers and nomadic herders in northwestern and north-central Nigeria.

In recent years, these conflicts have intensified and reached lethal proportions. In June 2025, over 100 people were killed in an attack in Benue State. In July 2025, another armed assault in the north-central region resulted in the deaths of 150 people. Numerous armed groups in the region regularly launch attacks on villages and major roads.

Security Forces’ Response

Following the attack, Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Nasir Muazu announced that military and police units had been deployed to the area. Security forces have been stationed around the village to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Muazu suggested that the attack may have been a retaliatory response to a recent ambush carried out by villagers against armed gangs. It was reported that the attack occurred shortly after villagers killed several armed individuals during the previous weekend. Additionally, it was stated that the attackers had been hiding among crops in farmland during the rainy season before launching raids on villages.

Regional Context and Other Security Threats

Nigeria faces not only farmer-herder conflicts but also a range of other security challenges. In the northeastern part of the country, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain active. According to United Nations reports, attacks by these groups have resulted in the deaths of more than 35,000 civilians and the displacement of two million people.

Meanwhile, just days before the attack in Katsina State, the Nigerian Air Force conducted an air operation against armed gangs in the Danmusa region, following which 62 hostages managed to escape.