Gunmen abducted more than 150 worshippers during coordinated attacks on three churches in northwest Nigeria, a state lawmaker said on Monday.
The attacks took place on Sunday in Kurmin Wali, a community in Kaduna state’s Kajuru area, while services were underway at an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), a Cherubim and Seraphim church, and a Catholic church, according to Usman Danlami Stingo, who represents the area in the state parliament.
“As of yesterday, 177 people were missing, and 11 have returned, leaving 168 still unaccounted for,” Stingo said.
Kaduna state police have yet to comment, and no group has claimed responsibility. Attacks of this kind are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, particularly in the northern region, where armed gangs and extremist groups frequently target remote communities with limited security.
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Similar church attacks have previously sparked claims of persecution of Christians by U.S. officials, including former President Donald Trump. The U.S. carried out military strikes in Sokoto on December 25, reportedly targeting Islamic State operatives. The Nigerian government has rejected the term “Christian genocide” to describe the ongoing security crisis.