Nigerian church leader says 160 worshippers abducted
Police said armed bandits kidnapped dozens of worshipers from two churches in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, while a senior church leader estimated the number of those missing at more than 160.
Kaduna state police said gunmen armed with “sophisticated weapons” attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali, a forest community in Afogo district, at 11.25am on Sunday.
They said officers were still trying to confirm how many people were taken away.
A police spokesman said the area was remote and difficult to reach due to poor roads, making it difficult to obtain reliable information in the immediate aftermath of such attacks.
The Rev. John Hayab, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, told Reuters by telephone that 172 worshipers were kidnapped and nine later escaped, with 163 still detained.
Hayab said, “I was informed that one hundred and seventy-two worshipers from the prominent churches were kidnapped and nine people escaped.”
Initial figures in Nigeria often vary widely after mass kidnappings.
While security agencies generally give conservative early figures, local community and religious groups sometimes cite higher figures.
In an earlier incident, a similar situation occurred in the kidnapping of a Catholic school in Kaduna State.
Police said that soldiers and other security units were dispatched to the region, and efforts were continuing to track the kidnappers and rescue the captives.
Northwestern Nigeria has recorded an increase in mass kidnappings by armed gangs operating in forest areas, attacking villages, schools and places of worship.
Similar attacks on churches have fueled allegations that US President Donald Trump and some US politicians are persecuting Christians.
The US government launched military strikes in Sokoto on December 25, allegedly targeting an Islamic State group in the region.
with AP
