Nigeria’s police late Tuesday confirmed a mass abduction of worshippers in Kaduna State, reversing an earlier denial by state authorities and intensifying scrutiny of the country’s security strategy. More than 170 people were seized during Sunday services at three churches by armed gangs widely described as bandits, according to security assessments and church records reviewed by agencies.
A United Nations security report counted over 100 victims taken from multiple churches. National police said search-and-rescue operations are underway to locate and recover those abducted and to restore calm. Police units remain stretched across rural areas where bandit groups operate.
The Kaduna kidnappings follow last year’s mass abduction and release of hundreds of Catholic schoolchildren in neighbouring Niger State, underscoring the persistence of large-scale raids despite military deployments. Nigeria continues to confront overlapping threats, including jihadist insurgents, criminal bandit groups and farmer-herder clashes.
The incident reopens debate over external military involvement. The United States conducted strikes in Nigeria last month against militants said to be linked to the Islamic State group. Analysts have questioned their impact, with claims of militant casualties uncorroborated and reports of civilian injuries. Nigerian officials indicate future missions would rely on US reconnaissance with Nigerian aircraft executing strikes. The latest abductions underline continuing nationwide security gaps with implications for worship centres, schools and travel across Nigeria, including the south.
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