Armed gunmen have abducted more than 160 worshippers after attacking two churches in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state, in one of the latest mass kidnappings to hit the region.
The assailants stormed the churches during Sunday services in Kurmin Wali village, in Kajuru district, forcing worshippers out of the buildings and into nearby bushland, according to local clergy.
Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the north, said the attackers arrived in large numbers and blocked all exits before rounding up worshippers. He said 172 people were initially taken, but nine managed to escape, leaving 163 still in captivity.
A United Nations security report seen by media also confirmed that more than 100 people were abducted during the raids.
Kidnappings by heavily armed gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, have become increasingly frequent across northern and central Nigeria. The groups often target villages, schools and places of worship, abducting large numbers of people for ransom.
In a similar incident in November, armed gangs kidnapped more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger state. They were later released in stages after weeks in captivity.