Armed assailants have launched a violent attack on a church in Nigeria, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least two individuals and the abduction of the pastor along with several congregants. This information was confirmed by police and eyewitness accounts, as reported by Reuters.
The disturbing incident unfolded on Tuesday evening in Eruku, a town situated in the central Nigerian state of Kwara. Reuters, after reviewing a video from a local news source, described the chaos as gunfire erupted during a service at Christ Apostolic Church, forcing churchgoers to seek refuge. The footage reveals armed men storming the church, seizing personal belongings amid the sound of gunshots.
In response to this violent episode, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for the immediate deployment of security forces, according to a statement from his spokesperson, as reported by Reuters.
Social media footage captures the tense moments as worshippers gather for prayer, only to be interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the entrance of gunmen into Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, on November 18, 2025.
This attack follows closely on the heels of another harrowing incident where gunmen abducted 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, Nigeria, resulting in the death of at least one staff member. According to police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the gunmen were heavily armed and engaged in a firefight with security personnel before taking the girls.
“A coordinated search and rescue operation is currently underway, with a combined team scouring suspected escape routes and nearby forests to recover the kidnapped students and apprehend those responsible,” Kotarkoshi stated, noting that one person was killed and another injured in the confrontation.
Gunmen pick up the belongings left behind by worshippers who ran for cover after hearing gunshots, as they walk into a Church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, Nov. 18, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)
President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern amid escalating violence against Christians in the West African nation.
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
“There is a body of evidence, and you are going to hear that from our experts today that paints a very grim picture of disproportionate suffering among Christians, where, again, families are torn apart, clergy is repeatedly assassinated, and entire congregations, church congregations,” Waltz said.
Worshippers run for cover after hearing gunshots in a Church in Eruku, Kwara State, Nigeria, Nov. 18, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. (Social media/via Reuters)
“Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” he added.
Rap superstar Nicki Minaj, who has been vocal about her support for the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, spoke at Waltz’s event.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray,” Minaj said.
“Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but also in so many other countries across the world, and it demands urgent action,” the rap mogul said. “And I want to be clear, protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
Fox News Digital reached out to AbdulRazaq’s office and the U.S. mission to the United Nations.
