A pastor was killed and at least forty members of his congregation were abducted in an armed attack on a church in Ekiti state, in south-western Nigeria, according to church sources and local authorities.

The attack took place at the Apostolic Church of Christ, located in the Ilejemeje local government area, where the congregation was attending a service at around 8.30 pm local time.

“We were holding our special programme when suddenly we heard gunfire”, a church source told the Spanish news agency EFE.

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That source also pointed out that, so far, no information has been received regarding the whereabouts of the captives.

The chairman of the Ilejemeje local government, Pius Alaba, confirmed the attack and the death of the pastor, although he was unable to specify the exact number of those abducted.

At the same time, the spokesperson for the Ekiti State Police, Sunday Abutu, stated that five armed men stormed the church and that an operation has been launched to try to apprehend them.

“Heinous and unacceptable”

The Ekiti state government also strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “heinous and unacceptable”, and extended its condolences to the victims’ families.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the authorities assured that “no stone would be left unturned” to rescue those kidnapped and bring those responsible to justice.

They also reported the immediate deployment of a security delegation led by former special adviser to the governor on security matters, brigadier General Ebenezer Ogundana, to coordinate operations on the ground.

The operation is being carried out in collaboration with the police, the Nigerian Army and other security forces, including local patrols, whilst intensive search and rescue efforts, as well as surveillance operations in the area, have been activated.

The government also explained that the church’s proximity to a forested area may have influenced the attack, and urged people to be extremely cautious, specially during night-time activities such as religious vigils.

Persistent violence

The attack comes amidst growing insecurity in various regions of Nigeria, where similar attacks on places of worship have been reported in recent months.

Last November, 38 people were also abducted from a church in Kwara State during an attack in which several people were killed.

The authorities have blamed these incidents on criminal gangs specialising in kidnapping, known locally as “bandits”.

In response to the escalating violence, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu even declared a “national security emergency” and announced the recruitment of thousands of new police officers.

Beyond ‘banditry’: the religious factor

However, several international organisations warn that this violence cannot be explained solely in terms of common crime or conflicts over resources.

Groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have explicitly stated their intention to eradicate the Christian presence in the country.

Eyewitness accounts gathered on the ground suggest that, during some attacks, the perpetrators identify their victims by their faith and even offer to spare their lives if they renounce Christianity.

Systematic persecution

According to reports from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, Christians in northern Nigeria are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than Muslims and over five times more likely to be kidnapped.

Furthermore, organisations such as Open Doors estimate that over 3,000 Christians were killed for their faith between October 2023 and September 2024.

Impunity and humanitarian crisis

Although some arrests have been made, very few perpetrators have been brought to trial, which, according to various organisations, contributes to a sense of vulnerability among affected communities.

At the same time, thousands of people have been displaced from their homes, with villages destroyed and churches looted, in what is now considered a serious humanitarian crisis.

Various voices also stress the importance of the media reflecting all dimensions of the conflict. 

Reducing these attacks to mere acts of 'banditry', they claim, can obscure the religious element present in many of them and hinder a full understanding of the situation.