In a distressing development, armed gangs kidnapped a significant number of churchgoers in Nigeria during Sunday services, as reported by Reuters. These attacks occurred in at least two churches, leaving communities in shock and fear.

On Monday, the Kaduna state police provided initial figures, suggesting that dozens of individuals were being held captive, though they noted the investigation was still in its early stages. Contrary to these figures, a senior church leader claimed that over 160 worshippers had been abducted over the weekend.

The incident on Sunday, highlighted by the BBC, involved both Christian and Muslim victims and is the latest in a troubling series of mass kidnappings in Nigeria. These attacks, often attributed to Muslim Fulani militants, are part of a larger pattern of religiously motivated violence aimed at destabilizing Christian communities and extorting ransom payments in the northern and central regions of the country.

According to reports by Reuters, the Kaduna state police described how gunmen, equipped with sophisticated weapons, launched an attack on two churches located in the village of Kurmin Wali in the Afogo ward around 11:25 a.m. on Sunday.

This alarming trend of violence has sadly become a familiar scene in Nigeria, reminiscent of previous mass kidnappings, such as when 250 students were targeted, capturing global attention. The ongoing crisis underlines the urgent need for effective security measures to protect vulnerable communities.

Reverend John Hayab, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria located in the northern part of the country, told Reuters:

“Information came to me from the elders of the churches that 172 worshipers were abducted while nine escaped,” Hayab said.

Early estimates from security agencies tend to be conservative, while community and religious leaders often report higher numbers. In Nigeria, casualty and abduction figures often vary widely in the days following mass kidnappings.

Security officers patrol an area in Janjala Village, Nigeria, on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, following the abduction and killings of multiple people. (Lekan Oyekanmi/AP Photo)

Police said troops and other security agencies had been deployed to the area, with efforts underway to track the abductors and secure the release of the captives, Reuters reported. 

Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.

In 2025, Nigeria was named the epicenter of global killings of Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. The report noted that while Muslims are also frequently attacked, Christians have been “disproportionately targeted,” with one in five African Christians facing high levels of persecution.

Woman in Benue State Christian refugee camp. The camp is inhabited by Christians who fled anti-Christian violence.  (Open Doors)

In November, 52 Catholic students, along with several staff members, were kidnapped by gunmen at St. Mary’s School in Nigeria, The Associated Press reported.

In April, the Evangelical Church Winning All, a major church based in West Africa, said it paid the equivalent of $205,000 in ransom to secure the release of roughly 50 members kidnapped in Kaduna, Nigerian lawyer Jabez Musa told Fox News Digital.