They kidnapped the majority of the hostages in the churches but also other people in the villages.
More than thirty people were kidnapped on Sunday June 19 by armed men who attacked two churches in northwestern Nigeria, a volatile region where criminal gangs practice mass kidnappings for ransom.
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A climate of almost generalized violence reigns in the north of the most populous country in Africa, plagued by criminal gangs in the west, and jihadists in the east, which are increasing attacks and kidnappings, less than a year of the presidential election. President Muhammadu Buhari ends his second term in February 2023, criticized from all sides for his inability to stem insecurity.
36 people abducted, 3 killed
Deadly attacks have become a daily occurrence in some parts of the country, especially in the northwest of the country where again on Sunday, dozens of men on motorbikes stormed several villages in Kaduna State. In particular, they targeted the Maranatha Baptist Church and St Moses Catholic Church in the village of Rubu, where “36 people were abducted and three villagers killedKaduna state security commissioner Samuel Aruwan told AFP. The kidnappers havefreed two hostages, including a community leader. Thirty-four people are still in the hands of banditsadded the commissioner.
According to residents interviewed by AFP, the armed men kidnapped the majority of the hostages in the two churches but also other people in the villages. The north-west and the center of Nigeria are the scene of criminal gangs, the “banditswho attack the villages, loot and kill the inhabitants.
Religious sites
These armed gangs also practice numerous kidnappings for ransom but rarely target places of worship, targeting more schools or travelers on the roads. Attacks on religious sites are particularly sensitive in Nigeria, where tensions often escalate between communities in a country whose south is predominantly Christian and north predominantly Muslim. The gangs act for financial reasons, without a priori ideological claim, but possible alliances between bandits and jihadists raise many concerns.
This attack comes two weeks after the massacre of some 40 parishioners, including children, in a southwestern church that shocked Nigeria, in a region usually spared violence. No criminal or jihadist group has yet claimed responsibility for this bloody attack.
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The government told him last week that he suspected the Islamic State-affiliated jihadist group Iswap of being behind the attack, which occurred more than 1,000 kilometers from the regions where it rages in Nigeria. Northeastern Nigeria is the scene of a jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and Iswap, in conflict with the army, which has left more than 40,000 dead and 2 million displaced.