Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has called for decisive action against the attackers who killed five worshippers at a mosque in Yandoto village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Reacting on his verified X account, Fani-Kayode insisted the perpetrators were terrorists, not bandits, and argued there should be no negotiations or ransom payments.
He described the attack as “an act of war” and wrote that those responsible “should be wiped off the face of the earth.”
“These are not bandits. Please stop calling them bandits. They are bloodthirsty killers and terrorists and every single one of them should be wiped off the face of the earth,” he wrote. “If our people cannot worship God in peace then we have nothing. No negotiation, no discussion, no ransom payments, no rehabilitation.”
Fani-Kayode’s post added:
“This is WAR. Kill every single one of them, wipe out their blood line and decimate their communities and abodes. There is no place on earth for those that slaughter innocent civilians.”
How bandits attacked worshippers
The attack in Yandoto, which took place during early morning prayers, has reignited national outrage over recurring assaults on places of worship in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Local accounts say gunmen stormed the mosque at dawn, opened fire and abducted several worshippers before fleeing into surrounding bush. Authorities are yet to release a full casualty or abduction list for the incident.
Human rights and legal experts warn that calls for collective punishment and extrajudicial reprisals risk fuelling further cycles of violence and could undermine the rule of law.
Observers say a law-based, intelligence-driven response that protects civilians and preserves due process is essential to long-term stability.
There was no immediate response to Fani-Kayode’s remarks from the Zamfara State Government or security agencies at the time of filing.
