Nigeria Church Attack: Gunmen Kill Two, Kidnap Pastor and Worshippers Amid Rising Tensions
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A devastating church attack in Nigeria's central Kwara state has left at least two people dead and several others kidnapped, including the pastor, as the country grapples with an escalating Islamist insurgency. The attack occurred on Tuesday evening in Eruku town, just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi state. According to police and eyewitnesses, the assailants stormed the Christ Apostolic Church during a service, forcing worshippers to take cover as gunfire erupted. The attackers killed at least two people, with one body found inside the church and another in a nearby bush. Witnesses reported seeing at least three dead church members, while several others were taken hostage, including the pastor. The Nigerian government has come under increasing pressure following the attack, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action over what he terms the persecution of Christians. In response, President Bola Tinubu has postponed a trip to South Africa and Angola to receive security briefings and has ordered more security forces to hunt down the attackers. The attack has sparked widespread condemnation, with rapper Nicki Minaj calling for global action to defend religious freedom in Nigeria. The country is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, kidnappings and killings by armed gangs in the northwest, and deadly clashes between Muslim herdsmen and Christian farmers in the central belt. The government has pushed back against the US designation of Nigeria as a 'country of particular concern,' arguing that it misrepresents the country's complex security challenges and ignores its efforts to safeguard freedom of religion for all. Authorities are still searching for the schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi state, with Vice President Kashim Shettima expected to visit the area to meet officials and parents. As the situation continues to unfold, the Nigerian government faces mounting pressure to address the security concerns and protect its citizens from the growing threats of Islamist insurgency and armed violence.
