Armed attackers have struck a local church in Katsina State, killing two people and abducting one woman in what appears to be a targeted act of violence in the state’s Kafur Local Government Area.
The attack took place on Monday night at Bege Baptist Church in Yaribori community. According to reports, gunmen stormed the church premises, opened fire on worshippers, and fled with an unidentified female victim.
The deceased have been identified as Reverend Emmanuel Na’allah, who served as the church’s pastor, and a member of the congregation, Mallam Samaila Gidan Taro.
The incident was brought to public attention on Tuesday by a security analyst, Bakatsine, who shared details of the attack via a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Bandits attacked Bege Baptist Church in Yaribori, Kafur LGA. They killed the pastor and one church member and abducted a woman,” the post read.
As of the time of publishing, the Katsina State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement. When contacted, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Abubakar, said he could not confirm the incident immediately.
The attack adds to the rising wave of insecurity and violent assaults targeting rural and religious communities in northwestern Nigeria. Katsina, like many other states in the region, continues to face significant challenges in curbing the activities of armed bandits.