Christians in Nigeria continue to be the target of attacks by armed jihadists. In the latest ambush, members of a church were attacked during a Sunday service, resulting in the abduction of the pastor, his wife, and several congregants, according to a persecution watchdog group.

During the terrifying incident last week, congregants at the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, a community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi state, had gathered for worship before the gunmen stormed the building, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. 

Eyewitnesses told the persecution watchdog group that the attackers surrounded the small church shortly after the service began.

"The worshippers were forced to flee in different directions as the gunmen entered the sanctuary. Adegboyega Oguns, who was present when the attack occurred, said the pastor, known as Orlando, was seized along with his wife and multiple members of the congregation. He described the moment as chaotic, with people running into the nearby bushes to escape," reads the report. 

The number of those abducted has not yet been confirmed. The Kogi State Government confirmed the assault in a statement issued in Lokoja by Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo.

According to ICC, church kidnappings have increased sharply in the last few years. 

"In 2022, gunmen stormed a church service in Kaduna and kidnapped the pastor and several worshippers in a pattern similar to the attack in Ejiba. In 2023, bandits abducted more than 40 Christians from churches and Christian communities in Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue in a single month. ICC reported in mid-2024 that more than 500 pastors had been abducted or killed in the last decade," the report outlines. 

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According to Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List, more than 4,100 Christians were abducted across Nigeria in the previous year, accounting for the highest number recorded globally. 

Nigerian and international monitoring groups have gathered data that places the number of Christians kidnapped since 2014 at more than 20,000, many of them during attacks on villages and houses of worship, cites persecution.org. 

Brad Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria, recently told CBN News that although there are a lot of complexities to what is taking place in Nigeria, it is mainly Christians who are being targeted by armed jihadists.

"It is a persecution issue," Brandon said. "I mean, you've got over 50,000 Christians that have been killed since 2009; 18,000 churches have been destroyed."

Brandon noted that even at "internally displaced persons camps," a majority of these individuals are Christians.

"Their communities and their villages are being destroyed, and they have nowhere else to go," he said. "So there is an issue of Christian persecution going on, no doubt. Christians are being targeted. They are second-class citizens all throughout northern Nigeria."

ICC adds that 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," reads the report. 

Nigerian priest Father George Dogo, of the Holy Family Parish in Takum, Taraba State, told CBN News his church was "ransacked" by Fulani militants, resulting in three deaths.

He explained that for the last two months, these places have been under constant attack. 

"Houses burned down. People [were] macheted and killed," Dogo described. "The number of those killed as of now, the count could be about 32 [or] 33." He added that in Takum, more than 26,000 people have been displaced due to the violence. 

He added that many survivors are facing unbearable hardship in the country. 

"There are people [who] have no food," Dogo shared. "No food. No houses. No water. No, nothing."

As families in Ejiba await news about their loved ones, school children abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school last month have been released and will be reunited with their families. 

At least 303 schoolchildren were seized along with 12 of their teachers when gunmen attacked the St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri community on Nov. 21. Fifty escaped in the hours that followed.

The Christian Association of Nigeria says a total of 100 schoolchildren were just released, but it was not clear what circumstances led to their release or if any arrests were made. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, but locals are pointing the finger at armed gangs.