Remnant Recap

• A targeted attack: Armed jihadists stormed a Nigerian church during worship, seizing the pastor, his wife, and several congregants.

• A growing pattern: Church kidnappings and assaults continue to rise across northern and central Nigeria, despite government pledges of security.

• A steadfast church: Nigerian Christians remain courageous and faithful, gathering to worship even as persecution increases around them.

Christians in Nigeria continue to endure persecution that should stir every believer and every freedom-loving American to attention. Armed jihadists are targeting churches with boldness, and the latest attack on a small congregation in Kogi state was meant to silence worship altogether. Their pastor, his wife, and several members were abducted during a Sunday service, forcing believers to flee into the bush for safety. Yet the Nigerian church stands firm. Even surrounded by violence, they continue to pray, gather, and trust God for protection. Their courage calls us to pray, advocate, and speak boldly for those suffering for the gospel.

CBN News reports:

During the terrifying incident last week, congregants at the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, a community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi state, had gathered for worship before the gunmen stormed the building, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Eyewitnesses told the persecution watchdog group that the attackers surrounded the small church shortly after the service began.

“The worshippers were forced to flee in different directions as the gunmen entered the sanctuary. Adegboyega Oguns, who was present when the attack occurred, said the pastor, known as Orlando, was seized along with his wife and multiple members of the congregation. He described the moment as chaotic, with people running into the nearby bushes to escape,” reads the report.

The number of those abducted has not yet been confirmed. The Kogi State Government confirmed the assault in a statement issued in Lokoja by Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo.

According to ICC, church kidnappings have increased sharply in the last few years.

“In 2022, gunmen stormed a church service in Kaduna and kidnapped the pastor and several worshippers in a pattern similar to the attack in Ejiba. In 2023, bandits abducted more than 40 Christians from churches and Christian communities in Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue in a single month. ICC reported in mid-2024 that more than 500 pastors had been abducted or killed in the last decade,” the report outlines.

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Photo credit: International Christian Concern