At least four people were killed and several others abducted on Sunday after armed gunmen carried out coordinated attacks on a church and multiple communities in Kogi State.
The attackers stormed the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro-Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, during a worship service, killing a worshipper identified simply as Jayjay and abducting about 20 people. Security sources said the number of abductees could be higher as assessments continue.
Reacting to the incident, the chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, Zaccheus Dare Michael, criticised the church for holding services despite security concerns in the area and ordered the immediate closure of all markets.
On the same day, gunmen also attacked Oke-Agi and Ilai communities in Mopamuro Local Government Area in what residents described as a coordinated operation that began around 4:00 a.m.
In Jamroro settlement, between Oke-Agi and Takete Isao and largely inhabited by Tiv people, two persons were killed and three others injured. The injured are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
At Ilai, a Bassa community near the Community Grammar School, one person was killed while three others were abducted during the raid.
The chairman of Mopamuro Local Government Area, Ademola Bello, confirmed the attacks alongside traditional rulers and community leaders.
Residents expressed concern over what they described as a delayed security response, saying the attackers operated for more than an hour before distress calls were received.
The latest incidents come weeks after gunmen attacked a Cherubim and Seraphim church in Ejiba on November 30, abducting several worshippers.
The renewed violence has heightened fear across Yagba Federal Constituency, with residents urging security agencies and the state government to urgently deploy stronger measures to curb the growing wave of coordinated attacks.
