2023-05-08 19:05:33
Gunmen attacked a Baptist church in northwestern Nigeria on Sunday, abducting 25 worshippers, a religious official said Monday.
This massive attack is the latest in a series in Nigeria where insecurity will be one of the main challenges for new President Bola Tinubu who is due to take office at the end of the month.
On Sunday, the assailants broke into Bege Baptist Church in Chikun area of Kaduna state, initially abducting 40 people.
But 15 managed to escape followingwards, Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna state, told AFP.
“Twenty-five are still being held” by the attackers, he added.
A Kaduna police spokesman confirmed the attack on Sunday but declined to say more immediately.
Kidnappings are rampant in northwestern and central Nigeria. The hostages are held in camps hidden in vast forests awaiting the payment of a ransom, an activity that has become very lucrative. Abductions can also be an issue between opposing communities.
Last month, 33 people were killed by gunmen in a village in Kaduna state in an attack amid a conflict between herding and farming communities fighting over water and pasture .
Last year, assailants opened fire on a Catholic church in Ondo state (southwest), killing at least 40 people.
Auteur: AFP – Seneweb.com
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