A coordinated attack on two churches in Kaduna state, northern Nigeria, left over 160 worshippers kidnapped on Sunday, according to local church officials and police reports. The incident highlights the continuing wave of mass abductions in the country, which has affected both Christian and Muslim communities.
Police said the gunmen struck the churches in Kurmin Wali, Afogo ward, around 11:25 local time. Witnesses reported that the attackers were heavily armed and arrived in groups, blocking all exits and forcing congregants into the surrounding bush.
“The attackers came in numbers and blocked the entrance of the churches and forced the worshippers out into the bush,” said Rev Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the country’s north, speaking to AFP on Monday.
Hayab also told Reuters that church elders provided him with the full scope of the abduction. “Information came to me from the elders of the churches that 172 worshippers were abducted while nine escaped,” he said.
This attack is part of a larger trend of kidnappings that have struck northern and central Nigeria. Criminal gangs, often called bandits locally, frequently target communities to demand ransom, with victims ranging from students and teachers to worshippers.
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in a separate attack. They were later released in two batches, attracting international attention and criticism of Nigeria’s security response.
Nigeria faces a wide range of security problems across different regions. Apart from gang kidnappings, the country contends with an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, separatist violence in the southeast, and clashes between herders and farmers in central areas over land and water.
Experts say that corruption, weak intelligence, and limited resources for local police have hindered efforts to stop these attacks. Last month, Nigeria’s defence minister resigned amid mounting pressure from the ongoing kidnapping crisis, officially citing health reasons.
The United States has also taken a more active role, conducting airstrikes on Christmas Day targeting two camps run by an Islamist militant group in north-western Nigeria. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of further military action if Christians continued to be killed.
Nigeria’s government stresses that attacks target all citizens, not just specific religious groups. The country has more than 250 ethnic communities, with a predominantly Muslim north, largely Christian south, and mixed populations in the center.
Responding to Trump’s warning, a Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman said the government would continue engaging partners while protecting all citizens. “Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, without discrimination,” said Alkasim Abdulkadir.
