Incidents of kidnapping have been rising in Nigeria. Recently, armed men attacked the Bege Baptist Church during its Sunday service and took 25 people hostages.
Kidnapping at Nigeria
In this federated state, whose safety has already been compromised by the Boko Haram insurgency since July 2014, local gunmen known as "bandits" are particularly active and engaged in criminal activity. The attacks carried out by the group have resulted in the deaths of many people. La Croix International reported that members of the populace are being kidnapped for ransom in various settings, including villages, schools, and roads.
As mentioned, bandits recently broke into the Bege Baptist Church in the Chikun district of Kaduna State (northwest) on Sunday, May 7, and kidnapped forty congregants. Pastor Joseph Hayab, the leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, said that while fifteen could flee, twenty-five are still being held. Hayab claims that he is still unaware of any requests for ransom money in connection with this incident, even though kidnappings for ransom are becoming more common in this part of Nigeria. He added he hopes "that the kidnappers will be merciful and free the remaining 25 people so they can return to their families".
As per NTV Kenya, after relative calm between the presidential and gubernatorial elections in February and March, there has been a recent uptick in the number of kidnappings to extract a ransom and attacks between communities. Moreover, as part of the ongoing conflict between ethnic Fulani herders and pastoral farmers in Kaduna, gunmen carried out a terrorist assault on a farming village in Kaduna last month, which resulted in the deaths of 33 individuals.
Additionally, ten schoolchildren were taken hostage in the central region of Kaduna earlier in the month; however, eight escaped captivity two weeks following their kidnapping and were also committed to obtaining Catholic priests. According to Globe World News Echo, at least forty people were killed when gunmen entered a Catholic church in the state of Ondo in the southwest of the country and began fire. The new president, Bola Tinubu, is scheduled to enter office at the end of this month. One of the primary issues he will face is maintaining national security. On the other hand, in addition to their struggle against criminal gangs, the armed forces of Nigeria are also engaged in a conflict with jihadists that has been going on for the past 14 years in Nigeria's northeast, and separatist tensions are heating up in the country's southeast.
Also Read:Nigeria Terrorist Killed Another 33 Christians
Attacks Against Christians
A report from the National Catholic Register stated that since 2012, the persecution of Christians in Nigeria has resulted in the deaths of up to 27,000 individuals. The Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Rev. Johnnie Moore, stated that "thousands of churches have been torched, children massacred, pastors beheaded, and homes and fields set ablaze by the tens of thousands, with people being targeted for their Christian faith alone."
Although the administration of Nigeria is well aware of the atrocities committed against religious minorities within its borders, law enforcement in the country frequently closes its eyes to the plight of its citizens. Furthermore, the inability of the government of Nigeria to effectively hold terrorist organizations responsible for their actions demonstrates that the government does not truly protect the freedom of religion in the country.
Related Article:Terrorists in Nigeria Killed Rev. Musa Mairimi of Evangelical Church Winning All, Wife Kidnapped
