No fewer than 18 people were reportedly killed in the early hours of Monday as armed bandits invaded Maza-Kuka Community, Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Sources told our correspondent that armed men, in large numbers, stormed the community on motorcycles and went straight to the mosque while the victims were observing their early morning prayers and killed 18 people.

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Sources, who spoke in confidence, said the attackers shot at the worshippers at closed range in the mosque, leading to the death of them while many others were also injured.

“They came on motorcycles and went straight to the mosques and shot at worshippers,” One of the sources said.

Daily Trust gathered that no fewer than 13 people were also kidnapped.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the Niger State command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached while a text message sent to him was not replied to at the time of filing this report.