At least seven people died and an undetermined number were kidnapped following an armed attack against two Christian churches in Kaduna state, in central Nigeria, during Easter Sunday celebrations, according to La Gaceta de la Iberósfera, citing local sources.
Coordinated Attack on Churches During Easter
The assault took place in the Ariko community during the early hours of Sunday, when armed men burst into the First ECWA Church and the St. Augustine Catholic Church while religious services were being held. Witnesses reported that the attackers arrived in large numbers, surrounded the area, and began firing indiscriminately at the faithful.
In addition to the deceased, several people were kidnapped, although the exact number has not yet been confirmed. The councilor of the Awon district, Mark Bawa, explained that the figures are still under verification: “Some sources indicate seven dead, while others claim it was eight,” he declared to local media.
Lack of Immediate Response and Communication Problems
One of the most worrying aspects of the attack was the absence of a quick intervention by the security forces. According to local authorities, the scarce telecommunications infrastructure in the area hindered coordination and the issuance of alerts, which delayed any effective response.
Bawa emphasized that the limited connectivity significantly reduced the response capacity to an aggression that lasted for a considerable time.
Persistent Violence and Episcopal Denunciation
Although the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) did not refer explicitly to the Ariko attack, it did issue a statement expressing its concern over the increase in armed violence in the country, especially the rise in kidnappings and the activity of armed groups in vulnerable regions.
The president of the CBCN, Monsignor Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, pointed out structural causes behind this crisis, such as nepotism, tribalism, and corruption. In his statements, he denounced what he described as “poor management” and called for prioritizing the common good as a way to curb the escalation of insecurity.
Nigeria, Recurrent Scene of Armed Attacks
Nigeria, especially in its central and northwestern regions, has been suffering for years from the actions of armed groups known as “bandits”, responsible for systematic attacks against the civilian population, robberies, and mass kidnappings for ransom purposes.