Armed assailants launched a violent assault on a church in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals and the abduction of the pastor along with several congregants, as reported by Reuters, referencing accounts from law enforcement and eyewitnesses.

The incident unfolded on Tuesday night in Eruku, located in Kwara State, central Nigeria. A video verified by Reuters and sourced from a local media outlet depicted a service at Christ Apostolic Church being abruptly disrupted by gunfire, compelling attendees to seek shelter. The footage reveals armed intruders entering the premises, seizing personal belongings from worshippers amid the chaos of gunshots.

Following the attack, Kwara State’s governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, called for an urgent deployment of security forces, as stated by his spokesperson and reported by Reuters.

Captured in a social media video, worshippers are seen praying just moments before gunfire erupts and gunmen invade the church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, on November 18, 2025. (Social media/via Reuters)

This violent incident follows closely on the heels of another tragic event, where armed individuals abducted 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State, resulting in the death of at least one staff member. According to The Associated Press, police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi noted that the attackers were equipped with advanced weaponry and engaged in a firefight with security guards during the kidnapping.

“A combined team is currently combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in a coordinated search and rescue operation aimed at recovering the abducted students and arresting the perpetrators,” he said, adding that one person was killed and another was injured.

Gunmen pick up the belongings left behind by worshippers who ran for cover after hearing gunshots, as they walk into a Church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, Nov. 18, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)

President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern amid escalating violence against Christians in the West African nation.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”

“There is a body of evidence, and you are going to hear that from our experts today that paints a very grim picture of disproportionate suffering among Christians, where, again, families are torn apart, clergy is repeatedly assassinated, and entire congregations, church congregations,” Waltz said.

Worshippers run for cover after hearing gunshots in a Church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, Nov. 18, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. (Social media/via Reuters)

“Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” he added.

Rap superstar Nicki Minaj, who has been vocal about her support for the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, spoke at Waltz’s event.

“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray,” Minaj said.

“Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but also in so many other countries across the world, and it demands urgent action,” the rap mogul said. “And I want to be clear, protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”

Fox News Digital reached out to AbdulRazaq’s office and the U.S. mission to the United Nations.