Gunmen have abducted at least 20 people, including a pastor and his new bride, in two separate attacks in the latest Nigerian kidnappings.
Attackers stormed the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Sunday in the central Kogi state, firing shots and forcing congregants to flee in panic. They seized the pastor, his wife, and several worshippers.
In another raid the night before in the northern Sokoto state, a bride and her bridesmaids were among those kidnapped. A baby, the baby's mother, and another woman were also taken, according to reports.
Schools and places of worship have increasingly been targeted in the latest wave of attacks in north and central Nigeria.
It is not clear who is behind the kidnappings - most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments; however, a presidential spokesman has suggested they may be the work of jihadist groups.
Kogi state government spokesman Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the attack in Ejiba to the BBC but was unable to confirm the specific numbers of those kidnapped.
Authorities are diligently working to track down the attackers, with a security network in place comprising conventional and local security agencies.
In the attack in mostly Muslim Sokoto state, local media reported that the bride had been preparing for her wedding ceremony the following morning when she was seized along with her friends and other guests.
Meanwhile, around 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers remain unaccounted for following the largest kidnapping incident in recent weeks, while other victims from earlier raids have reportedly been freed.
This string of abductions has rekindled fears about the security of rural communities, increasing pressure on authorities to enhance protections for at-risk groups, including schools, churches, and isolated neighborhoods.
Despite the outlawing of ransom payments as a measure to combat the lucrative kidnapping industry, it is widely believed that such payments continue discreetly.
Nigeria's ongoing security crisis gained international attention recently when US President Donald Trump threatened military intervention if the government continued to permit violence against Christians.
However, Nigerian officials and analysts emphasize that members of all faiths are victims of this violence and seek to dispel the narrative that Christians are primarily targeted.
