Nigerian Army Rescues 31 Hostages After Deadly Easter Sunday Church Attacks

Nigeria's army rescued 31 hostages on Easter Sunday after armed gunmen attacked two churches in Ariko village, Kaduna state, killing at least five people in a firefight that erupted when troops intervened. The military said it had "successfully foiled a terrorist attack" during Easter services, forcing the attackers to abandon the hostages after soldiers engaged them in a firefight. One of the rescued hostages was injured and receiving medical attention, according to the army. The attack targeted the First ECWA Church and St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Ariko, a village located approximately 100 kilometers north of the capital, Abuja. Caleb Maaji, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria for Kaduna state, said seven people were killed and an unknown number were taken hostage, a figure higher than the five deaths confirmed by the army. The army said it had intensified pursuit operations to locate the attackers in their hideouts and rescue any remaining hostages.

Attack struck despite Easter security deployment across Nigeria The assault took place despite the police chief having ordered a "massive security deployment" at places of worship across Nigeria during the Easter holiday period, according to France 24 and Deutsche Welle. The army said troops were able to respond swiftly because security forces had already been deployed in elevated numbers around churches for the holiday. The military's statement described the attackers as "terrorists," though it remained unclear whether the assailants were criminal bandits motivated by ransom or members of jihadist networks operating in the region. „Findings are still ongoing.” — Caleb Maaji via Reuters The army said the troops "intensified pursuit operations to locate the fugitives in their hideouts," with efforts continuing to bring those responsible to justice. The attack in Ariko was not an isolated incident: in January 2026, gunmen had rounded up more than 170 worshippers from three churches during mass in Kaduna, with 80 escaping and the remainder released after three weeks in custody following negotiations, according to France 24.

Violence spreads across three Nigerian states on the same day Easter Sunday saw violence erupt across multiple Nigerian states simultaneously. In Benue state, located in central Nigeria, 17 people were killed when armed men entered the village of Mbalom and opened fire indiscriminately, according to eyewitness accounts reported by De Gelderlander. The governor of Benue state blamed "suspected armed herders" for the attack, describing it as a "barbaric act," according to Zeit Online. Violent conflicts between sedentary farmers and nomadic herders have repeatedly struck the region. Separately, the Nigerian army killed 65 (bandits) — armed fighters killed by Nigerian army in Zamfara state in Zamfara state, according to a security report seen by AFP, in an offensive that followed a mass kidnapping earlier in the week in which residents estimated seven people were killed and 150 were abducted across six villages in the Bukkuyum local government area. The army's Zamfara offensive was carried out in a different district from where the kidnapping was reported.

Ariko village, Kaduna state (army figure): 5, Ariko village, Kaduna state (CAN figure): 7, Mbalom village, Benue state: 17

Trump's genocide claim adds international pressure on Abuja The security crisis in Nigeria has drawn sustained international attention, particularly from the United States. US President Donald Trump has characterized the violence against Christians in Nigeria as a "genocide" and has previously ordered airstrikes against militants in the country, according to BBC reporting from January 2026. The US Army also expanded its operations against Islamists in Nigeria, according to Zeit Online. Northwest and central Nigeria have been plagued for years by criminal gangs locally known as bandits, who carry out mass kidnappings for ransom and deadly raids on rural communities. In the northeast, the jihadist group Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP, which emerged in 2016, have spread further violence. Although bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain, they are increasingly collaborating with jihadist networks from the northeast, according to France 24. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with around 240 million inhabitants, is broadly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a majority Christian south, with significant religious mixing in central regions. Despite the army's increased deployment across the region, Nigeria has continued to see a rise in violence, with the Easter Sunday attacks representing the latest in a pattern of assaults on Christian communities that has drawn condemnation from Washington.