At least 13 people have been kidnapped after armed men attacked a church during Sunday morning service in Nigeria’s central Kogi state. It is the second such assault on a place of worship in the area in just two weeks.
The attackers stormed Evangelical Church Winning All in the largely rural farming community of Aaaaz-Kiri.
Witnesses say the gunmen fired shots as they entered the church, causing panic among worshippers, before seizing several people and fleeing the scene.
Kogi state’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, said five of the attackers were killed during a confrontation with security forces. He added that other gunmen escaped, some of them injured.
Second church attack in two weeks
Local officials have described the assailants as “bandits”, a term commonly used in Nigeria for criminal gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom.
The attack follows a similar incident earlier this month in Ejiba, a nearby town in Kogi state. In that raid, gunmen abducted a pastor, his wife and several members of the congregation. Residents say those victims are still being held, despite ongoing efforts by security agencies to free them.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Fanwo said pressure from military operations in neighbouring states was forcing criminal gangs to move into Kogi. He said increased security activity in Niger and Kwara states had pushed the bandits further south and east.
Rising insecurity across central Nigeria
The latest abductions highlight Nigeria’s ongoing security crisis, particularly in parts of the north-west and central regions. Armed gangs have carried out repeated attacks on villages, highways and religious centres, with mass kidnappings becoming increasingly common.
One of the most serious incidents in recent weeks occurred in late November, when more than 250 schoolchildren and 12 members of staff were reportedly taken from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state.
The federal government has often blamed extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province, known as ISWAP, for such attacks. However, several security analysts say many of the recent kidnappings have been carried out by criminal gangs motivated by ransom, rather than jihadist groups.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered security chiefs to intensify intelligence-led operations and has approved the deployment of additional troops and police officers to areas considered high risk. Authorities say joint military and police task forces have disrupted some armed groups.
Despite these efforts, attacks continue, especially in rural communities where security forces are thinly spread, and emergency responses are slow.