Africa-Press. Police and church sources said gunmen killed three people and abducted a Catholic priest and others during an attack on a cleric’s residence in Kaduna state in northern Nigeria.
The attack, which took place in Kaura local government area, highlights persistent insecurity in the region. It came days after security agencies rescued 166 worshippers who had been abducted in attacks on two churches elsewhere in Kaduna.
The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan said the abducted cleric was Father Nathanael Asway, priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church parish in Karku, adding that ten other people were also abducted.
In a statement, the diocese said three residents were killed during the attack. A Kaduna police spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying five people were abducted in total and that the three killed were members of the security forces.
He added: “Security personnel exchanged fire with bandits and killed some of them, and unfortunately two soldiers and a police officer lost their lives.”
Amnesty International said in a statement on Sunday that Nigeria’s security crisis is “worsening dangerously,” accusing the government of “gross failure” and an inability to protect civilians, as gunmen continue to kill, abduct, and terrorize rural communities across several northern states.
Pope Leo XIV, in his weekly address to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, expressed solidarity with victims of recent attacks in Nigeria, saying: “I hope the competent authorities will continue to work firmly to ensure security and protect the life of every citizen.”
