Security services say they have now rescued all 166 worshippers who were kidnapped by gunmen during attacks on two churches in northern Nigeria last month, a Christian group said on Thursday (5 February).
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) credited the power of prayer and the military for the success of the operations in Kaduna state, but did not go into details on how the churchgoers were freed or when.
The military, the police and the local government in Kaduna did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CAN, which represents congregations across Nigeria, said gunmen stormed the churches on 18 January, seized 177 worshippers and dragged them into nearby forests. Eleven escaped, leaving 166 missing, it said.
It was the latest in a series of reported attacks and abductions in the north that have drawn the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused Nigeria's government of failing to protect Christians - a charge Abuja denies.
U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets in northwest Nigeria on 25 December.
There have been conflicting accounts of the churchgoers' fate. Police initially said no kidnapping took place, then said on Monday 80 of those listed as abducted had fled to nearby villages during the raid and since returned to their homes.
The police and CAN often offer different figures and accounts on church kidnappings.
On Thursday, the Rev. John Hayab, head of CAN's northern chapter, said he could confirm that all the churchgoers had now been freed "after all the drama and disagreements", referring to the police’s initial denial of the kidnapping.
"What we know is that they have been rescued. Nobody asked us to gather any money, and nobody collected a penny from us," he said.
"Of course, the bandits still have their demands, but we did not have any amount to give them," he added.
CAN's leader in Kaduna, the Rev. Caleb Ma'aji, also said the churchgoers had been released and that he had just returned from the government house in Kaduna where the governor was set to receive them.
"The stage is set for them to be brought ... His Excellency will meet with them. This is a result of the prayers we have offered,” he said.
The Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington to improve security and have denied there is systematic persecution of Christians.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment