At least 163 Christian worshippers were kidnapped after armed gangs stormed two churches in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, during Sunday services, according to local clergy and security officials.
The attackers, described as carrying sophisticated weapons, blocked church entrances and forced congregants into the bush before abducting them, Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (North), told AFP. He noted that nine of those initially taken managed to escape, leaving 163 still in captivity.
Discrepancies remain regarding the exact number of victims. Ishaku Dan’azumi, a traditional chief in Kurmin Wali, reported that 166 people were abducted from three churches in the village, while lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo told the Associated Press that 168 people remain missing. A United Nations security report also confirmed that armed gangs targeted multiple churches in the area, abducting over 100 worshippers.
Kaduna State police confirmed the attacks and said troops and security personnel had been deployed to track the abductors and rescue the captives.
Mass abductions by armed gangs, commonly referred to as “bandits”, are frequent in northern and central Nigeria, often motivated by ransom demands. Sunday’s attacks are part of a growing wave of kidnappings targeting both Christian and Muslim communities, reflecting the broader insecurity in Nigeria, where intercommunal violence and armed banditry have intensified over recent years.
This incident follows a similar attack in November 2025, when armed gangs abducted over 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of civilians and institutions to violent raids.
As authorities work to locate and rescue the kidnapped worshippers, the events underline the urgent need for enhanced security measures and government intervention to curb the rising tide of armed banditry in Nigeria’s northern regions.
