Gunmen abduct dozens of worshippers from multiple Nigerian churches using sophisticated weapons

Fox News - WorldCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Bonny ChuJanuary 20, 2026 at 03:51 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Armed gunmen abducted dozens of worshippers from at least two churches in Kurmin Wali, Nigeria, on Sunday during morning services. While police reported a conservative estimate of those kidnapped, a church leader stated that over 160 people were abducted. The attackers, reportedly using sophisticated weapons, are suspected to be Muslim Fulani militants who frequently target Christian communities in northern and central Nigeria for ransom. Security forces have been deployed to locate the abductors and rescue the captives. Nigeria has seen a rise in mass kidnappings, with Christians being disproportionately targeted, leading to the country being named the epicenter of global killings of Christians.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

St. Mary’s School 30% The Associated Press 30% Afogo ward 40% BBC 40% Open Doors World Watch List 40% Kurmin Wali 50% John Hayab 60% Christian Association of Nigeria 60% Muslim Fulani 60% Reuters ×470% Kaduna state ×270% Nigeria ×890%

Keywords

mass kidnapping 90% gunmen 80% nigerian churches 80% worshippers 70% religious violence 60% kaduna state 60% islamist militants 50% ransom payments 50% sophisticated weapons 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

Fox News - World

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Nigeria

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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mass kidnapping gunmen nigerian churches worshippers religious violence kaduna state islamist militants ransom payments sophisticated weapons

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