Insecurity: Bandits abduct 40 worshippers from Kaduna Church, 15 escape

By Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna

At least, 40 worshippers of Bege Baptist Church, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state, have been abducted by terrorists during church service on Sunday morning.

The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Kaduna State, Rev. John Joseph Hayab who confirmed the abduction on Monday, said 15 of the victims escaped, meanwhile 25 are still in the hands of the terrorists.

Hayab said the worshippers were in the Sunday service in the Church around 9:30am when all of a sudden, they started hearing sporadic gunshots very close to the Church, adding that, “The gunmen attacked the Church and went away with 40 worshippers.

“But thank God when they were going, somehow 15 of the kidnapped persons escaped, 25 of the worshippers are still in captivity without any word from their abductors,” he stressed.

The CAN Chairman, said efforts are being made to get in contact with the abductors concerning the remaining people and prayed that the abductors would be merciful to release the remaining 25 back to their families.

Some of the church members said the attack was like an horrifying film because they came in their numbers and operated unhindered because they were heavily armed.

Kaduna State government and the police command are yet to issue any official statement on the incident and when contacted, the state Police spokesman, DSP Mohammed Jalige, complained that he is in a place not conducive to grant interview.

Jalige promised to return the call but never did. In the same manner, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, did not pick his calls and failed to respond to his missed calls as at the time of filing this report.