Nigerian military rescues 31 kidnapped Easter worshippers

A Nigerian flag. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The Nigerian military said Sunday it had rescued 31 worshippers seized from Easter celebrations in northwestern Kaduna state, though at least five others were killed, as the country’s security is increasingly under international scrutiny.

The kidnapping at a village located around 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, Abuja, occurred despite the police chief ordering a “massive security deployment” including at places of worship during the Easter festival.

“Through a swift response, (troops) have successfully foiled a terrorist attack leading to the rescue of 31 civilians abducted during an Easter church service” in the village of Ariko, the military said in a statement.

The troops engaged the attackers in a “firefight”, forcing the “terrorists to abandon 31 hostages”, the military said in a statement.

It said five victims had been killed by the attackers.

The military listed one church, but local media reported that gunmen raided a Catholic and an evangelical church, killing at least eight people and abducting several others.

Kaduna is one several states in northwest and central Nigeria that have for years been terrorised by criminal gangs called bandits that carry out deadly raids on communities and kidnap for ransom.

Despite the bandits being motivated by financial gains, they are increasingly collaborating with jihadists from the northeast.

It was unclear if the military’s use of “terrorists” was referring to jihadists or bandits.

While the army has been beefing up its deployment to the region to combat the groups, Nigeria has continued to see a rise in violence.

That has drawn the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has alleged there is a “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria.

In January, bandits rounded up more than 170 worshippers from three churches during mass in Kaduna.

Authorities said 80 escaped and the rest were released following negotiations after three weeks in custody.