Nigeria troops rescue 31 Easter worshippers after deadly church attack

Nigeria’s military said Sunday it rescued 31 worshippers abducted during Easter services in northwestern Kaduna state, after troops engaged gunmen in a firefight, though at least five people were killed in the attack. The assault on a Catholic and an evangelical church underscores worsening insecurity in the region, where criminal gangs and militant groups have intensified raids and kidnappings. The Nigerian military said Sunday it had rescued 31 worshippers seized from Easter celebrations in northwestern Kaduna state, though at least five others were killed, as the country’s security comes increasingly under international scrutiny.

Gunmen raided a Catholic and an evangelical church, the Christian Association of Nigeria chairman for Kaduna state Caleb Bawa Ma’aji told AFP. The kidnapping at a village located around 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, Abuja, occurred despite the police chief ordering a “massive security deployment” including at places of worship during the Easter festival. “Through a swift response, (troops) have successfully foiled a terrorist attack leading to the rescue of 31 civilians abducted during an Easter church service” in the village of Ariko, the military said in a statement.

The troops engaged the attackers in a “firefight”, forcing the “terrorists to abandon 31 hostages”, the military said. It said five victims had been killed by the attackers, but Ma’aji said that seven people were killed during the attack. “The incident that happened this morning was quite unfortunate,” said Ma’aji.

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In January, bandits rounded up more than 170 worshippers from three churches during mass in Kaduna. Authorities said 80 escaped and the rest were released following negotiations after three weeks in custody. Kaduna is one several states in northwest and central Nigeria that have for years been terrorised by criminal gangs called bandits that carry out deadly raids on communities and kidnap for ransom. Despite the bandits being motivated by financial gains, they are increasingly collaborating with jihadists from the northeast.

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