Four feared dead, worshippers kidnapped as gunmen attack Kogi church
Guardian2 days
Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Church in Kogi, Kill 1, Abduct Up to 20
Are these attacks evidence of unchecked sectarian terror and security failure, or do recent operations show the state is regaining control over bandit violence?
Above: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church (Mary Home) dramatizes the Stations of the Cross to mark Good Friday in Oke-Ira, Ogba in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 18, 2025. Image credit: Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Despite the recent incident, security forces in Kogi State are gaining ground against bandits, with attackers neutralized with support from the civilian population and army and police units deployed to protect communities. Since President Tinubu took office, more than 13,500 fighters have been killed, while talks on U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation continue through diplomatic channels. The violence is driven largely by resource and power struggles rather than religious targeting, and claims of a Christian genocide misread Nigeria's complex security reality.
Government-critical narrative
Terrorists are systematically targeting Christian communities in Kogi State during the Christmas season with coordinated pre-dawn attacks, killing worshippers and abducting congregants while security forces arrive only after attackers have vanished into the forests. Intelligence warnings from U.S. experts about planned Christmas attacks went unheeded, and despite standing agreements with American partners for drone surveillance and signal intelligence, Nigeria's military continues fighting blind instead of conducting proactive forest operations to stop these sectarian assaults.
Public Figures
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.1
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.1