Two Killed and Others Kidnapped in Armed Attack on Nigerian Church

At least two people were killed and several others, including a priest, were kidnapped in an armed attack on a church in Iroko town, Kwara State, central Nigeria on Tuesday evening, according to police and eyewitnesses on Wednesday. The attack comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school.
The assault adds pressure on the government, which has come under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened military action over what he described as persecution of Christians.
Adituwon Egir Adieme, spokesperson for Kwara State Police, said the police responded to gunfire around 6 p.m. Tuesday, finding one person fatally shot inside the church and another in a nearby forest. Eyewitnesses reported at least three church members killed.
One eyewitness told Reuters:
“Some worshippers, including the priest, were later taken into the bush,” though the exact number of abductees was unclear.
A video verified by Reuters from a local news agency showed the mass halted due to gunfire, forcing congregants to take cover. Armed men were seen entering the church, seizing people’s belongings while continuing to fire.
The Kwara State governor called for immediate deployment of more security personnel following the church attack.
The office of President Bola Tinubu announced the postponement of his planned trips to South Africa and Angola for the G20, African Union, and EU summits, to receive security briefings on the attacks. The president also ordered increased security to track the attackers in Kwara.
A spokesperson for the president, Bayo Onanuga, said security agencies were directed to do everything possible to rescue the abducted schoolgirls and return them safely.
The Nigerian government maintains that the U.S. classification of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” distorts its complex security challenges and overlooks its efforts to ensure religious freedom for all.
Nigeria continues to face Islamist insurgency in the northeast, widespread kidnappings and killings by armed gangs mainly in the northwest, and deadly clashes between mostly Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farmers in the central region.