Gunmen have taken at least 20 people, including a pastor and a new bride, in two separate attacks in Nigeria’s latest kidnapping.
Enemies attacked the newly built cherubim and seaphim Church on Sunday in Central Kogi State, firing shots and forcing worshipers to flee in terror. They arrested the pastor, his wife and many worshipers.
In another attack the night before in Northern SoKoto State, a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped. A child, the child’s mother and another woman were also captured, AFP News Agency reported.
Schools and places of worship have been particularly targeted in the latest wave of attacks in North and Central Nigeria.
It is unclear who is behind the kidnappings – most analysts believe they were carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom, although a presidential spokesman told the BBC they believed they were the work of jihadist groups.
Kogi State Government Spokesman Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the Ejiba attack to the BBC but did not confirm the numbers.
He said authorities are working to track down the attackers.
“The security network, which consists of the usual security agencies and the local security architecture are now doing what they need to do,” he told the BBC.
In the attack in predominantly Muslim Socoto State, the local media reported that the bride was preparing for a wedding ceremony the next morning and she was surrounded by her friends and other guests who supported her.
About 250 school students and 12 teachers are still believed to be missing after the biggest attack in recent weeks, while those attacked in other attacks have reportedly been released.
The spate of arrests has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of rural communities. This increases the pressure on the authorities to provide protection for the dangerous – schools, churches and remote communities.
The payment of ransoms has been banned in a call to end the lucrative kidnapping industry, although it is believed that such payments are being made.
The security crisis in Nigeria attracted the international spotlight last month after President Donald Trump threatened to send in troops if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”.
Nigerian officials and analysts say members of all faiths are victims of violence and kidnapping and say it is not true that Christians are being targeted.
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