Authorities in Nigeria have been responding to another wave of kidnappings that has been unfolding across several regions in recent weeks. A clergyman and a bride were among those abducted in two separate raids.
Authorities in Nigeria have been responding to another wave of kidnappings that has been unfolding across several regions in recent weeks. A clergyman and a bride were among those abducted in two separate raids.
Police officers stand guard outside the school where children were kidnapped by gunmen in Kebbi
In a previous incident probed by police, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped in the state of Cabbage:
Gunmen attacked a church in Nigeria’s Kogi state and abducted the pastor along with worshippers during a Sunday morning service.
The abductions come amid a sharp rise in kidnappings across Nigeria.
What do we know so far about the kidnappings?
Nigerian media reported overnight that the target in Kogi was the “Cherubim and Seraphim” church in the village of Ejiba, where twelve people were taken including the pastor.
Authorities confirmed the incident. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, spokesperson for Kogi state, criticized some pastors for continuing to encourage congregations to gather in remote locations despite known risks.
He was quoted by Nigeria’s NAN news agency as saying that clergy sometimes underestimate the danger posed by armed groups. No public information has yet emerged about the suspected perpetrators.
In a separate attack in Sokoto State in the northeast, a bride and 10 of her bridesmaids were abducted from a village on Saturday.
More than 400 people have been taken in the past two weeks, including large numbers of children and teenagers.
On November 21, gunmen raided the Catholic St. Mary’s School boarding facility in Papiri, Niger state, seizing more than 300 people. Details about the 265 mostly children who remain missing have not been made public.
