At least 13 people were seized by armed men while attending a Sunday service at Evangelical Church Winning All in Kogi state, central Nigeria, in the latest of a string of attacks on places of worship.
Witnesses said the gunmen barged into the rural Aaaaz-Kiri church, opened fire, and kidnapped several congregants before fleeing the scene.
Kogi state’s information commissioner, Kingley Fanwo, confirmed that five of the attackers were killed during security operations, but others escaped despite sustaining injuries. Fanwo told the BBC that intensified crackdowns in neighbouring Niger and Kwara states appear to be driving the criminal gangs deeper into Kogi.
Just two weeks prior, a similar assault occurred in Ejiba town, where gunmen abducted a pastor, his wife, and multiple church members. Local residents report that these victims remain in captivity despite ongoing efforts by authorities to secure their freedom.
These events reflect growing insecurity in Nigeria’s central and north-western regions, where armed gangs frequently carry out kidnappings, raids on villages, and attacks on religious sites.
At the end of November, over 250 children and 12 staff members were abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state, in one of the largest recent incidents.
While the government has attributed many such attacks to jihadist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province, analysts argue that criminal gangs are the main perpetrators.
President Bola Tinubu has since ordered security agencies to expand intelligence-driven operations and deployed additional troops and police to hotspot areas.
Despite these measures and some successes by combined military and police teams in dismantling gangs, attacks continue, particularly in rural communities where security presence is limited and response is slow.
