More than 160 believers kidnapped in Nigeria

2026-01-19 19:58:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Armed gangs have kidnapped dozens of people attending two churches in Nigeria's Kaduna state, according to local police. A senior church leader said more than 160 worshippers were abducted by gunmen during a Sunday service.

This is the latest mass kidnapping in Nigeria, targeting both Christians and Muslims. Gangs, known locally as "bandits", often carry out such attacks in the northern and central parts of the country for ransom. Describing Sunday's attack, local police said gunmen with "sophisticated weapons" forced their way into two churches in Kurmin Wali, a forest community in the Afogo district, at around 11:25 a.m. local time.

"The attackers came in large numbers, blocked the entrance to the churches and forced the faithful to go out into the bushes," Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the north of the country, told AFP news agency on Monday.

Speaking to Reuters, Hayab added: "Information came to me from church elders that 172 believers were kidnapped, while nine others escaped."

In November, more than 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school. They were later released in two separate groups. This was one of a series of kidnappings that made international headlines. Nigeria is facing multiple security challenges, including kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs, an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, separatist violence in the southeast, and a battle between herders and farmers in the center over access to land and water.

Experts say corruption, poor intelligence sharing and underfunded local police have hampered efforts to address the various crises. Nigeria's defense minister resigned last month at the height of the kidnapping crisis, ostensibly for health reasons, according to the president's office.

The US has recently become militarily involved in Nigeria, launching airstrikes on Christmas Day on two camps run by an Islamic militant group in northwestern Nigeria.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of further attacks if Christians continue to be killed in the West African nation.

There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a predominantly Muslim north, a predominantly Christian south, with mixed groups in between, and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks./CNA, translated by BBC