A Baptist pastor and a church member were shot dead during a Monday evening service in Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, as armed attackers stormed Bege Baptist Church in Yaribori village.
Witnesses say up to 20 gunmen with Fulani accents opened fire, killing the Rev. Emmanuel Na’allah Auta and Mallam Samaila Gidan Taro, while a woman was kidnapped, as reported by Truth Nigeria.
Church member Zakariya Jatau told Christian Daily International: “Another member, a lady, was also kidnapped and taken away to an unknown place.”
The attack comes amid a surge of deadly violence targeting Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. In Plateau State, Fulani herdsmen killed at least 20 Christians in June alone, and more than 80 have died since May in repeated raids on mostly Christian villages.
Local official Amalau Samuel called the attacks “barbaric and inhuman,” describing how, “The attackers came late at night and started killing innocent people… where they could not gain entrance, they broke through the ceiling.”
Nigeria remains the most dangerous country for Christians according to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, which found 3,100 of the 4,476 Christians murdered for their faith worldwide were killed there.
Many believe these attacks are driven by extremist ideology and the desire to seize land from Christian farmers.