Nigeria’s army said Sunday it rescued 31 worshippers taken hostage during an attack on a church in Ariko village in northwestern Kaduna state.
The military said troops responded quickly, foiling a terrorist attack and rescuing 31 civilians who had been abducted during an Easter church service. It said soldiers engaged the assailants in a firefight, forcing them to abandon the hostages.
Local media and Caleb Maaji, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna state, reported that both a Catholic and an evangelical congregation were struck and that two churches in Ariko were targeted. Maaji said seven people were killed and several others abducted; the military said five victims were found dead at the scene.
Ariko lies about 100 kilometers north of Abuja. The incident occurred despite an earlier order from the police chief for a massive security deployment, including extra protection at places of worship over Easter.
For years parts of northwest and central Nigeria, including Kaduna, have been plagued by criminal gangs known locally as bandits, who carry out mass kidnappings for ransom and raid villages. Violence has increased despite intensified military operations in the region. In January, gunmen attacked churches during mass in Kaduna and rounded up more than 170 worshippers.
The security crisis has drawn international attention, with some foreign figures sharply criticizing the violence against Christians in Nigeria. The country is home to more than 250 ethnic groups and is roughly split between a predominantly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south, with significant religious mixing in central areas.
Edited by Wesley Dockery.