Thirty-one civilians held hostage following a Sunday morning church attack in north-west Nigeria have been rescued, the army has said.
Five others were killed as gunmen targeted Easter celebrations at a church in Ariko, Kaduna state, according to a statement from the security forces. A local church official had earlier put the number of dead at seven.
The army said soldiers engaged the attackers in a “fierce firefight”, forcing them to flee and leave the hostages and the bodies of the dead victims behind.
Attacks and kidnappings for ransom are common occurrences in northern Nigeria, as the country grapples with security threats from jihadist groups and armed gangs, locally known as bandits.
Although the army said it responded swiftly to Sunday’s attack, local media report that residents said the gunmen operated for a long time without facing resistance.
As a result of the firefight, officials said the “fleeing terrorists” had “significant casualties, as evidenced by blood trails along their escape routes”.
Troops had also been deployed to hunt the insurgents and reinforce security.
The army has urged residents to share information that can support operations against groups fuelling insecurity across the country.
It added that sustained pressure from the troops forced the attackers to abandon their captives while retreating.
“The pressure mounted by the advancing troops forced the terrorists to abandon 31 hostages, including one injured victim who is currently receiving medical attention.”
The statement, however, regretted that despite the successful rescue operation, five people were killed in the attack.
“Regrettably, the remains of five victims already killed by the terrorists were also recovered at the scene
In a separate incident, Nigeria’s military killed 65 bandits following an offensive in Zamfara state, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday, days after a large group of bandits abducted residents from villages in the state.
Police had on Saturday confirmed that there had been a mass abduction in villages in the state earlier in the week and a manhunt had been launched.
Late last year, the administration of US President Donald Trump raised concerns about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria – and urged the government to do more to improve security and strengthen protection for Christian communities.
Meanwhile, the Taraba State Police Command has arrested some suspects in connection with the killing of three policemen and the Vigilante leader of Tor Damisa in the Donga Local Government Area of the state.
The arrest of the suspects, who include Suleman Abdullahi, 30, and Idris Kauri, 33, is said to be from Akente village in the same Donga LGA, followed by a series of engagements with relevant stakeholders and intelligence gathering.
Briefing journalists after parading the suspects at the state Police Command, the state Commissioner of Police, Morkwap S. Dongshal, who took over the Command shortly after the unfortunate incident, disclosed that the three service rifles of the slain policemen were also recovered.
The CP further revealed that the Command is on the trail of other suspects who are currently at large, vowing to ensure that they are apprehended wherever they are hiding across Nigeria.
