Police said Gunmen abducted 19 Muslim worshippers after attacking a mosque in the restive northwest of Nigeria on Sunday.
The attackers stormed the mosque in Maigamji village, in Katsina state, during evening prayers Saturday and carried out the kidnappings after shooting and wounding the imam and another worshipper, said local police spokesman Gambo Isah.
“Our men mobilised and went after the bandits and succeeded in rescuing six of the worshippers from their abductors, while efforts are underway to free the remaining 13,” he added.
The two people wounded were being treated in hospital, he added.
Bandit gangs, also known as criminal organisations, have terrorised the northwest and central regions of Nigeria. During village raids, they steal cattle, hold hostages, and burn down homes after plundering supplies.
The gangs, who seek safety in the sizable Rugu Forest, typically demand a ransom before releasing their captives. In northwest Nigeria, it crosses four states, including Katsina.
Authorities report that during a string of bandit raids on villages in the neighbouring Kaduna state last month, 15 people were killed and numerous more were injured.
Intense pressure has been placed on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to put an end to the bloodshed before he leaves office at the conclusion of his eight-year term next year.
Concern is increasing over a coalition in the northeast between jihadists fighting a 12-year war to establish a Caliphate.