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Thirty-eight worshipers abducted during a weekday church service in North Central Nigeria have been freed following coordinated efforts by security forces and government officials, according to reports. The victims were abducted from Christ Apostolic Church in the Eruku community during an evening prayer meeting last week.
The Nov. 18 attack involved 10 armed men storming the church and opening fire on the congregation, killing several people, including the pastor, Sahara Reporters said.
A video shared on social media from a service held Sunday showed a preacher urging church members not to fear death and asserting that those who died in the attack were “witnesses for Christ.”
“Don’t let us fear death,” the preacher was quoted as saying. “Anywhere death comes to you, make sure you do not curse Jesus.” Police vehicles were seen stationed outside the church during the service.
Governor Abdul Rahman Abdul Razaq of Kwara State announced the release of the abducted church members, crediting the operation to President Bola Tinubu’s direct intervention.
The Nigerian president had canceled a planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to address what the governor called “security breaches” in Kwara and Kebbi states, according to TVC News.
The governor also acknowledged the support of the National Security Adviser’s office, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency and the Nigeria Police Force. Four tactical police teams were reportedly deployed to Kwara under Tinubu’s directive.
In a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, Governor Abdul Razaq said the release was “wholly due to [Tinubu’s] direct initiative,” and extended thanks to local community leaders, religious organizations and residents for their solidarity during the ordeal.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, or CAN, condemned the attack, calling it “heartbreaking and sad,” and described the abduction as part of the prevailing insecurity affecting religious gatherings in parts of the country.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in a statement that the kidnappers had initially demanded 100 million naira ($ 69,000) per person and later reduced the ransom to 20 million naira (nearly $14,000).
The attackers were identified in the report as members of a Fulani militia, and the abduction had been captured on video.
The attack on the Christ Apostolic Church was one of several recent incidents involving mass abductions and assaults on religious institutions in Nigeria.
On Friday, gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, and abducted 303 students and 12 teachers. Fifty of those abducted managed to escape, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide noted.
Children as young as 6 were among those taken during that raid. Local church officials denied reports that the school had reopened without government permission, stating they had received no prior warning of an imminent threat.
Following a separate school attack in Kebbi State last Monday, 24 girls who had been abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga were released on Tuesday, CSW reports. The school dormitory also housed Muslim students, despite being located in a predominantly Christian area, according to CSW.
Also last Monday, unidentified men attacked the EYN Church in Maiduguri, Borno State, beating a security guard with a machete. Church officials said threats had been made against the congregation for weeks.
President Tinubu’s government has denied that the violence constitutes religious persecution.
A Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to counter claims of persecution and genocide targeting Christian communities. The trip followed Nigeria’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern,” CPC, by the U.S. government for religious freedom violations.
The Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association in Makurdi Diocese rejected official claims that there was no jihad or targeted attacks, stating in a release on Friday, “What our people are experiencing bears every mark of GENOCIDE.”
The day before, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, a Catholic priest and ruling party member, had denied any systematic targeting of Christians.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 20,000 people were abducted in Nigeria, according to the U.S.-based watchdog group Open Doors. The group warned that kidnapping has become a lucrative enterprise tied to terrorist networks and used to fund Islamist expansion. In a report from October, Open Doors said Christians, especially religious leaders, are often targeted because they tend to bring higher ransoms, making them particularly vulnerable.
The group has also documented that Nigeria records more killings of Christians each year than all other countries combined, with tens of thousands reportedly killed over the past decade.
In response to these trends, U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., introduced a congressional resolution earlier this month condemning what he described as the violent persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The resolution, backed by at least 20 House Republicans, was introduced shortly after President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a CPC. It calls for Nigerian authorities to crack down on armed groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and Fulani militants.
It also urges the repeal of blasphemy laws, the release of those jailed for religious offenses, the safe return of displaced Christians, and the delivery of aid through faith-based and nongovernmental organizations.
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