At least 13 worshippers have been abducted after armed men attacked a church during Sunday service in Nigeria’s central Kogi State, marking the second assault on a place of worship in the area within two weeks.
The attackers reportedly stormed the Evangelical Church Winning All in the rural farming community of Aaaaz-Kiri, firing gunshots to create fear before forcibly taking several congregants and fleeing.
Kogi State Information Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo confirmed that five of the assailants were killed during the attack, while others managed to escape despite sustaining gunshot injuries. He described the perpetrators as bandits — a term widely used in Nigeria for armed criminal gangs known for kidnappings and ransom demands.
The incident follows a similar attack earlier this month in the nearby town of Ejiba, where gunmen abducted a pastor, his wife, and other church members. Local sources say those victims remain in captivity despite ongoing rescue efforts by security agencies.
Fanwo attributed the rising attacks in Kogi to increased security pressure on criminal groups in neighbouring Niger and Kwara states, forcing them to relocate their operations into new territories.
The latest abduction underscores Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, particularly across the north-west and central regions, where armed groups continue to carry out mass kidnappings, village raids, and attacks on religious gatherings. In one of the most disturbing recent cases, more than 250 schoolchildren and staff were abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State in late November.
While authorities often link such violence to extremist groups, security analysts say many of the attacks are carried out by profit-driven criminal gangs rather than ideologically motivated militants.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered intensified intelligence-led operations against kidnappings and approved the deployment of additional military and police personnel to identified hotspots. Despite some reported gains by joint security task forces, attacks persist, especially in rural areas where security presence and rapid response remain limited.