A church service in Eruku, a community in Nigeria’s Kwara State, descended into horror on Tuesday evening when armed men stormed the building, shot dead at least two people, and dragged the pastor and several worshippers into the surrounding bush. The assault came just days after the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding facility, intensifying public anxiety over the country’s deteriorating security landscape.
The latest incident unfolded around 6 p.m., when police officers responding to bursts of gunfire discovered one victim inside the church and another close by in nearby vegetation. Local residents, who rushed to the scene before security forces sealed off the area, reported seeing more than two lifeless bodies belonging to the congregation.
Survivors said the gunmen seized a group of worshippers—including the pastor—before disappearing into the forested area around the town. The number of those taken remains unclear, but families have been gathering in fear as authorities widen their search.
The attack has piled fresh pressure on Nigeria’s federal government, already under international scrutiny following the abduction of the boarding-school students. U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn global attention to religious-related violence in the country, accusing Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christian communities and warning of potential American intervention.
In response to the two high-profile incidents, President Bola Tinubu cancelled a scheduled diplomatic trip to South Africa and Angola for the G20 and AU-EU meetings. He has demanded full briefings from his security chiefs and ordered a reinforced operation to track down the assailants responsible for the Kwara attack. He has also instructed the security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and retrieve the kidnapped schoolgirls.
The situation has ignited fresh debate about Nigeria’s long-running conflicts, which involve jihadist groups in the northeast, violent gang networks in the northwest, and chronic clashes between herder communities—mainly Muslim—and largely Christian farming settlements across the central region.
Although Washington previously categorized Nigeria as a nation facing severe violations of religious freedom, the Nigerian government maintains that the country’s violence stems from a mix of criminal, economic, and insurgent factors rather than a targeted campaign against Christians.
Tuesday’s assault has nevertheless deepened concerns, as residents of Eruku now await developments in the search for their pastor and fellow congregants while the nation confronts yet another wave of insecurity.
