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Nigerian Army Says It Rescued 31 Hostages After Easter Church Attack in Kaduna

The operation underscores the strain from overlapping jihadist, bandit threats across the north.

Overview

  • The army reported it broke up an assault on worshippers in Ariko, Kaduna, on Sunday and freed 31 people who had been seized, without saying if the attackers were jihadists or bandits.
  • Officials said five people were found dead at the site, while a local Christian leader said two churches were hit and seven people died.
  • Police in Borno reported separate attacks that killed five people, including four officers in Nganzai, and burned about 20 homes at a camp for displaced families in Damasak.
  • A security report seen by AFP said a ground-and-air offensive in Zamfara killed 65 suspected bandits after mass abductions in the state days earlier.
  • In Benue, residents and officials reported at least 17 people killed in Mbalom, a sign that armed herder and bandit raids continue to devastate rural communities.