At least 13 worshippers were abducted during an armed attack on a church in the remote community of Aiyetoro-Kiri, in Kogi State, central Nigeria, last Sunday.
According to the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, the attack triggered clashes between the assailants and local hunters acting as a first line of community defense, resulting in the killing of four attackers and injuring at least ten others.
He confirmed that security forces have stepped up operations to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the hostages.
The incident marks the latest episode in a spate of kidnappings in the region, further increasing pressure on the Nigerian government. Similar abductions have occurred in recent weeks, including the kidnapping of more than 12 staff members from a Catholic boarding school in Baberi in late November, with the fate of some victims still unknown despite government-led rescue efforts.
