More than 160 worshippers have been kidnapped after heavily armed attackers raided at least two churches in northern Nigeria on Sunday, according to local officials and Christian groups.
The abductions took place in a rural Christian community in Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna state, in north-central Nigeria. International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that the attackers struck while church services were under way.
Rev Joseph Hayab, who leads the northern region of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said a large number of gunmen entered the churches “in the middle of the service”. He said 172 people were first taken, but nine managed to escape shortly after the attack, leaving 163 still in captivity.
Local authorities have launched an investigation, ICC said, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.
ICC president Shawn Wright said he was “deeply troubled” by the reports and described the attack as a cruel act against innocent people gathered for worship. He called on world leaders to take urgent action and asked Christians around the world to pray for the safe return of those taken and for comfort for their families.
Ini Ememobong, national publicity secretary of Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party, criticised the government and called for immediate steps to protect citizens.
He said the repeated attacks on people in places of worship showed the government’s failure to safeguard the constitutional right to freedom of religion. He added that Nigerians should not have to live in fear when attending churches or mosques.
US Congressman Riley Moore also condemned the kidnappings, describing the news as horrific. He said Christians in Nigeria were facing a serious threat and urged the Nigerian government to secure the swift and safe return of all those abducted.
Mass kidnappings have affected parts of Nigeria for several years. In one of the most recent cases, more than 200 students and teachers were abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state last November. All were later freed or escaped.
ICC said rural Christian communities are especially vulnerable because they often lack adequate security.
Ememobong said the protection of citizens is the government’s primary responsibility and called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to act quickly rather than make empty promises. He said the families of those taken were anxiously waiting for their loved ones to return.
Last year, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and authorised military strikes at Christmas on what were described as militant bases. The strikes were carried out in response to the targeting of Christians, and Trump later warned of further action if attacks continued.
The Open Doors World Watch List, published last week, said Nigeria is the deadliest country in the world for Christians. It ranks seventh among the countries where it is most dangerous to follow Christ.
Release International, another organisation that supports persecuted Christians, recently warned that the number of Christians being killed in Nigeria could double this year unless urgent action is taken to stop the violence.
Adapted from ICC and Christian Today UK.
