Kaduna, Nigeria. Gunmen killed three people and abducted a Catholic priest and others during an early morning attack on a clergyman’s residence in Kaduna state, church and police sources said on Sunday.
Attack in Kauru district
Saturday’s assault took place in Kauru district in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state. The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan said the attack began at about 3:20 a.m. (0220 GMT) and that three residents were killed.
The diocese identified the kidnapped clergyman as Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Karku, and said 10 other people were abducted.
Police account differs on abductions and deaths
A Kaduna police spokesperson confirmed the incident but said five people were abducted in total. The spokesperson also said the three people killed were members of the security forces.
“Security agents exchanged gunfire with the bandits, killed some of them, and unfortunately two soldiers and a police officer lost their lives,” he said.
Broader security concerns and international attention
The attack came days after security services rescued all 166 worshippers abducted in attacks by gunmen on two churches elsewhere in Kaduna, according to the report.
Such attacks have drawn the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused Nigeria’s government of failing to protect Christians, a charge Abuja denies. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets in northwestern Nigeria on December 25.
Amnesty International criticism and Vatican response
Amnesty International said on Sunday that Nigeria’s security crisis was “increasingly getting out of hand” and accused the government of “gross incompetence” and failure to protect civilians as gunmen kill, abduct and terrorise rural communities across several northern states.
A presidency spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Pope Leo, during his weekly address to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, expressed solidarity with the victims of recent attacks in Nigeria.
What measures do you think are needed to improve security for rural communities in northern Nigeria?
