…injure 3
Armed bandits in Kaduna State have killed two of the more than 60 worshipers of Emmanuel Baptist Church whom they had kidnapped during a church service about two weeks ago, a local Christian leader has confirmed.
“The bandits opened fire on five of their victims … and killed two people while three others were seriously injured and are currently in the hospital,” Rev. Joseph Hayab, Kaduna chapter’s chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, said in a statement, according to PUNCH Newspaper.
The gunmen stormed Emmanuel Baptist Church in Kakau Daji area in southern Kaduna on Oct. 31, the international Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors reported at the time, adding that the telecom networks were down at the time of the attack.
“The church was unable to call for help, whilst the bandits have reportedly asked for a higher ransom because they had to travel farther for network service to contact the victims’ relations.”
The lives of the abducted Christians are “in danger and require urgent intervention of government and security agencies,” Rev. Hayab said.
“The insecurity in Kaduna State has continued to grow beyond our imagination and is threatening the peace of the nation.”
Haya earlier said that the Baptist church “is the worst-hit church in this state.”
Security analysts say kidnapping for ransom is becoming a lucrative industry in Nigeria. And weapons are becoming readily available to militants in the country.