Christian advocacy groups monitoring insecurity said attacks like the one in Ejiba reflect a growing trend of bandits targeting houses of worship in rural areas where security presence is limited. They said bandits often choose early morning or late evening hours for their operations, especially during prayer times when they expect to find people gathered.
Despite repeated assurances from federal and state authorities, the number of such incidents continues to rise. Communities across Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi, and Taraba states have reported frequent attacks, often without swift intervention from security forces.
The Nigerian government maintains that criminal gangs — not Islamic extremists — are responsible for the violence, arguing that the victims of banditry come from all religious groups. Advocacy organizations counter that the concentration of attacks on Christian communities, pastors, churches, and Christian-majority villages suggests a different pattern.
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The attack on Ejiba is the latest in a series of violent kidnappings affecting Christian congregations across the country. It adds pressure on state and federal authorities to strengthen security at worship centers and in rural communities.
As families in Ejiba wait for news of their loved ones, the community joins a growing number of Nigerian towns recovering from similar attacks. According to figures published by several rights organizations, more than 50 Christian communities have experienced mass abductions in the last 12 months. The kidnapping in Ejiba marks another addition to a long list of incidents yet to be resolved, leaving residents hoping that security forces will recover the pastor, his wife, and the other worshippers safely.
This is the second attack in Yagba land within one day, and one of dozens reported across central Nigeria in the last few weeks.
This article originally appeared here.
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