At least 50 people have been confirmed dead and around 60 others abducted after gunmen stormed a mosque and nearby homes in Katsina state, northwest Nigeria, in one of the region’s deadliest attacks in recent months.

The assault happened in the early hours of Tuesday in Unguwan Mantau village, Malumfashi district, as worshippers gathered for Fajr, the dawn prayer.

Witnesses said the attackers, riding on motorcycles, opened fire inside the mosque before moving through the village, torching houses and targeting residents.

Aminu Ibrahim, a lawmaker representing Malumfashi, said the attackers carried out a series of brutal killings. “At least 30 people were killed and 20 others burned alive,” he said, describing the assault as devastating for the community.

Katsina police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu confirmed that security officers had intercepted the armed men earlier, blocking their planned assault on two nearby villages.

But while escaping through Mantau, the attackers opened fire indiscriminately and set several homes ablaze before security forces reached the scene.

Survivors recounted horrifying experiences of women and girls being seized by the assailants during the chaos. “They started shooting inside the mosque while people were praying,” said resident Muhammad Abdullahi. “My neighbour was killed. I was lucky I didn’t come out early.”

Health workers reported that many victims were brought to the local hospital. On Tuesday, Fatima Abakar, an official at the Malumfashi General Hospital, said 27 bodies were registered at the morgue, though several others were taken directly for Islamic burials by families.

Northwest Nigeria has been plagued by frequent raids from armed gangs, known locally as bandits, who have intensified attacks on rural communities. The groups routinely carry out mass kidnappings, demand ransom payments, and burn villages, leaving residents in fear and forcing many to abandon their homes and farmlands.