Nigeria: Over 160 Worshippers Kidnapped in Kaduna Church Attacks
Heavily armed attackers raid two churches in Kaduna’s Kurmin Wali village during Sunday services, abducting over 160 worshippers.
- Over 160 worshippers were kidnapped after gunmen attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kaduna Stat
- Out of 172 initially taken, nine people managed to escape, leaving 163 still in captivity
- Armed gangs, known as bandits, frequently target northern and central Nigeria for ransom-driven kidnappings
Armed assailants have abducted more than 160 worshippers after attacking two churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kaduna State, in one of the latest mass kidnappings to hit northern Nigeria.
The gunmen stormed the churches during Sunday services, forcing congregants into nearby bushland.
Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (North), said the attackers arrived in large numbers, blocked all exits, and rounded up worshippers. Out of 172 initially taken, nine managed to escape, leaving 163 still in captivity.
A United Nations security report also confirmed that over 100 people were abducted during the attacks.
Kidnappings by heavily armed gangs, often called bandits, have surged across northern and central Nigeria, with villages, schools, and places of worship frequently targeted for ransom-driven abductions.
In a similar case last November, more than 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State, though they were later released in stages after several weeks in captivity.
