Bandits on motorcycles have attacked a Jumuat mosque in Zamfara and abducted the imam and 17 other worshippers in a community in Zamfara State, the police said on Sunday.

The attack reportedly took place on Friday.

According to the police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, the bandits arrived during a congregational prayer at Dutsen Gari, a farming community in Kanoma district of Maru local government area.

The gunmen killed some members of the community during the attack, the police said.

The police spokesperson said efforts have been set in motion to rescue the abducted person.

The attack is the latest in a string of kidnappings that have rocked Nigeria’s northwest in recent years.

Recently, Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, said he had secured the rescue of 11 kidnapped persons in the state.