Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Senior Nigerian Evangelical Leader Abducted As Church Attacks Raise Alarm
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ABUJA (Worthy News) – A senior leader of one of Nigeria’s largest evangelical denominations has been abducted in Nigeria’s central Plateau State while concern remains about several Christian worshipers kidnapped elsewhere in the turbulent African nation, Christian sources said Tuesday.
Reverend Sunday Agang of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), chairman of the Board of Trustees, was taken Sunday from his residence in Farin Gida, Jos, by unknown gunmen, said sources familiar with the case. It was not immediately clear whether they had demanded a ransom.
Separately, authorities and Christian sources said an attack on an ECWA church occurred in Kwara State, where suspected bandits stormed a Sunday service in Omugo community, Ifelodun Local Government Area.
In published remarks, authorities said “suspected bandits” — a term often used for heavily armed criminal gangs, some with Islamist links — “invaded the church premises” in the rural village of Omugo, Ifelodun Local Government Area.
At least eight worshippers were reportedly abducted in the raid.
SEPARATE CHURCH ATTACK
Three of the abducted victims reportedly escaped, while five others remain in captivity, sources familiar with the case said.
A 90-year-old woman was beaten and left injured during the attack, witnesses said.
Family members identified two of the kidnapped victims as Bukola Sunday and Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi, saying they have received no contact from the abductors.
“We are calling on the government to please come to our side and rescue the abducted family members,” a relative, Foluke Janet, told local media, adding that the family could not afford any ransom if demanded.
A local pastor, Abraham Bukola Oladele, who also serves as a district chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella body representing millions of Christians across denominations in Nigeria, said the attack unfolded during Sunday school.
WORSHIPPERS FLEEING GUNFIRE
“People ran into the bush when gunmen approached and shots were fired,” he said, adding that security forces later responded.
Residents say the community has faced repeated attacks, with reports suggesting this was at least the third such raid in recent months.
The incidents highlight growing insecurity in parts of Nigeria, where armed groups — often described as bandits or militants — have increasingly targeted rural communities, including churches.
In Plateau State and elsewhere in central Nigeria, violence has also been linked to clashes involving armed herders, criminal gangs, and, at times, Islamist militants, although motives are often disputed.
Nigeria ranks 7th on the 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face persecution, yet remains the deadliest country, accounting for 3,490 of the 4,849 believers killed worldwide for their faith, according to advocacy group Open Doors, which compiles the annual report.
RISING INSECURITY CONCERNS
Worthy News has previously reported on repeated abductions of clergy and worshippers in Nigeria, with churches frequently targeted during services or in rural areas where security presence is limited.
Local leaders have urged authorities to deploy more security forces and protect vulnerable communities, warning that residents lack the means to defend themselves against heavily armed attackers.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with more than 220 million people, is roughly evenly split between Muslims and Christians, with an estimated 100 million Christians living mainly in the south and central regions of the country.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
European policymakers, church leaders and representatives of Syria’s Christian communities have urged the country’s transitional authorities to protect minority Christians amid concerns over the future of believers in the war-torn Middle East nation.
A reported Houthi attack has struck Saudi Arabia’s strategically vital East-West oil pipeline, the massive cross-country system designed to keep Saudi crude flowing even when the Strait of Hormuz is threatened or closed.
Spanish-Moroccan relations, already strained over migration, faced more pressure Friday after Spain’s lower house of parliament approved legislation that would grant Spanish citizenship to tens of thousands of Sahrawis born when Madrid administered Western Sahara.
Russia launched fresh air attacks on Ukraine early Friday after NATO reportedly confronted Russian vessels trying to sabotage undersea cables, highlighting concerns that Moscow is attempting to extend the war by targeting Europe’s critical infrastructure.
Iran-backed Houthi forces seized Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, raising fears for global shipping as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
The United States and its allies are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the worst terror attacks on American soil, which had worldwide implications ranging from wars to increased surveillance.
Several impoverished Christians have died across Pakistan in recent days amid what advocates describe as a pattern of violence, discrimination and hardship potentially threatening the Christian community throughout the predominantly Muslim nation, Christian sources told Worthy News.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com