Armed gangs abducted numerous worshippers from two churches in Nigeria during Sunday services, according to a report by Reuters.

On Monday, Kaduna state police provided preliminary figures, suggesting that dozens were being held captive as investigations continue. However, a senior church leader claimed that over 160 individuals were seized by gunmen over the weekend.

The incident on Sunday, which BBC reported affected both Christian and Muslim congregations, is the most recent in a series of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, often attributed to religious tensions. Fulani militants, predominantly Muslim, have been known to attack Christian communities in the northern and central regions of Nigeria, frequently seeking ransom payments.

Kaduna state police disclosed that the attackers, equipped with “sophisticated weapons,” targeted two churches in the village of Kurmin Wali in the Afogo ward around 11:25 a.m. on Sunday, according to Reuters.

An image shows people walking past a school in Nigeria on March 8, 2024, in the aftermath of mass kidnappings that affected 250 students. (Haidar Umar/AFP via Getty Images)

Reverend John Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern region, shared his insights with Reuters, expressing concerns over the escalating violence.

“Information came to me from the elders of the churches that 172 worshipers were abducted while nine escaped,” Hayab said.

Early estimates from security agencies tend to be conservative, while community and religious leaders often report higher numbers. In Nigeria, casualty and abduction figures often vary widely in the days following mass kidnappings.

Security officers patrol an area in Janjala Village, Nigeria, on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, following the abduction and killings of multiple people. (Lekan Oyekanmi/AP Photo)

Police said troops and other security agencies had been deployed to the area, with efforts underway to track the abductors and secure the release of the captives, Reuters reported. 

Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.

In 2025, Nigeria was named the epicenter of global killings of Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. The report noted that while Muslims are also frequently attacked, Christians have been “disproportionately targeted,” with one in five African Christians facing high levels of persecution.

Woman in Benue State Christian refugee camp. The camp is inhabited by Christians who fled anti-Christian violence.  (Open Doors)

In November, 52 Catholic students, along with several staff members, were kidnapped by gunmen at St. Mary’s School in Nigeria, The Associated Press reported.

In April, the Evangelical Church Winning All, a major church based in West Africa, said it paid the equivalent of $205,000 in ransom to secure the release of roughly 50 members kidnapped in Kaduna, Nigerian lawyer Jabez Musa told Fox News Digital.