13 Christians abducted in church attack in Nigeria

Thirteen Christians have been abducted by a militia group in Nigeria following a skirmish in Kogi State.

The incident began with an attack by gunmen on the First Evangelical Church Winning All during a Sunday service. Five of the attackers were killed when a band of local hunters put up armed resistance.

Local reports suggest that the militant group were driven off by vigilantes during an attempted attack on a college three weeks ago.

Nigeria’s security services have often been criticised for his or her inability to properly prevent such attacks. Often absent, even once they are present, the safety forces have sometimes been too ill-equipped to do anything greater than divert militants away from one goal and towards one other.

In response to the constant stream of attacks, last month Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a near doubling of the police force and declared a nationwide security emergency.

The security services are actually working with the hunters to search out the 13 individuals who were abducted within the attack. The search is centred on Ejiba forest.

Since mid-November there have been at the very least eight attacks, leading to five deaths and well over 180 people kidnapped, most of whom remain in captivity. More than 300 pupils and 12 staff were kidnapped in a single attack on a Catholic school in November. Over 150 have since been released or escaped.

There are concerns that the Christmas season could see an escalation of violence. Earlier this yr Catholic bishop Wilfred Anagbe said that massacres during Christian festivals were becoming “customary” in parts of the country. In 2023 Fulani militants launched a series of devastating attacks on Christmas Eve, burning down eight churches and killing tons of.

Of the most recent outrages, Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s CEO Scot Bower said, “It is unlucky that at the same time as the federal government of Nigeria demonstrates that it has the resources and skill to help in ending a coup in neighbouring Benin, it struggles to offer similarly swift intervention and protection to its residents.

“While CSW welcomes and echoes the decision of the National Assembly for the deployment of security to vulnerable roads, we urge the Nigerian authorities to go further still by ensuring the protection of churches in areas experiencing increased attacks as Christmas approaches.

“Government at each the state and federal level must work together to make sure Christians and their communities are protected, particularly in longstanding hotspots equivalent to Benue, Plateau, Taraba and southern Kaduna, and in emerging ones, equivalent to Kogi and Kwara States.”