Nigerian archdiocese urges government to rescue Christians captured during Easter attacks

(LifeSiteNews) — The Nigerian Archdiocese of Kaduna has called on the government to rescue Christians abducted after an attack by gunmen on several churches on Easter Sunday.

On April 5, during Easter services, a large group of armed men targeted two churches in Ariko village, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State. According to the diocese’s statement, five people were killed, and around 35 were abducted during the attack.

The statement by the Archdiocese of Kaduna, issued last Wednesday and cited by Nigerian outlet Leadership, said that the attack was unprovoked and occurred while the Christians were celebrating Easter.

“Our hearts are heavy as families grieve the loss of loved ones while others remain in captivity. We appeal to the authorities to do all in their power to ensure their safe return,” the statement reads.

“The attack in Ariko left five worshippers dead, and about 35 others abducted. Victims included members of Catholic, Baptist, and ECWA congregations.”

The archdiocese urged government authorities to ramp up security during religious gatherings to prevent future attacks.

According to Channels TV, the two churches targeted were the ECWA (“Evangelical Church Winning All”) church and the St. Augustine Catholic church in Ariko. However, the Archdiocese also mentioned a Baptist congregation that was attacked, meaning that a third church was potentially attacked as well.

Residents reported that the gunmen arrived in great numbers, surrounded the area of the churches, and opened fire on the people gathered to worship.

After a distress call, troops of the Nigerian Army arrived at the scene to thwart further attacks.

“Troops acted on a distress call reporting that armed attackers had invaded a church and taken worshippers hostage,” a statement by the army read.

“Soldiers were immediately mobilised to the area and, with support from local residents, tracked the assailants as they attempted to flee.”

The troops engaged in a gun fight with the attackers and reportedly overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon some of the hostages taken.

The military said it had rescued 31 hostages. However, these numbers are disputed by local community leaders who said that many of these allegedly rescued Christians remain in the custody of the kidnappers.

In the past years, Nigerian Christians have been ravaged by these kinds of attacks by radical Islamic groups. Just one week earlier, on Palm Sunday, gunmen killed at least 11 people in northern Nigeria during a similar assault.