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Residents of a Nigerian community have disputed the army’s claim that it rescued 31 civilians held hostage following an attack on a church Sunday morning in the north.
The army had said it had freed civilians captured by gunmen who attacked a church in Ariko, Kaduna state, during Easter celebrations. Authorities said five civilians were killed, but a local church official put the death toll at seven.
But Ariko Community Association president Joseph Ariko told the BBC the captives were still missing and asked the military to name those rescued. “As far as we are concerned, all the kidnapped victims are still with the bandits.”
The army has not yet responded.
He said the soldiers engaged in a “fierce exchange of fire” with the attackers, forcing them to flee and leave behind the hostages and the bodies of the dead victims.
Attacks and kidnappings for ransom are commonplace in northern Nigeria, as the country grapples with security threats from jihadist groups and armed gangs, known locally as bandits.
Although the military said it responded quickly to Sunday’s attack, local media reported that residents said the gunmen operated for a long time without encountering resistance.
On Monday, Rev. John Hayab of the Christian Association of Nigeria questioned the rescue claims after speaking to residents.
“No one was rescued… If they were rescued, where did they take them?” he told the BBC.
Following the firefight, officials said the “fleeing terrorists” had “significant casualties, as evidenced by blood trails along their escape routes.”
Troops had also been deployed to chase out insurgents and reinforce security.
The military urged residents to share information that could support operations against groups fueling insecurity across the country.
In another incident, the Nigerian army killed 65 bandits following an offensive in Zamfara state, AFP news agency reported on Sunday, days after a large group of bandits kidnapped residents from villages in the state.
Police had on Saturday confirmed that there was a mass kidnapping in villages in the state earlier in the week and a manhunt had been launched.
Late last year, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration raised concerns about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria and urged the government to do more to improve security and strengthen protections for Christian communities.
Trump had previously claimed that a “Christian genocide” was underway in Nigeria – an allegation strongly rejected by the Nigerian government, which said Muslims, Christians and people without faith were victims of attacks.
In February, U.S. troops were deployed to Nigeria to train its forces and provide intelligence assistance in their fight against Islamist militants and other armed groups.
Additional reporting by Basillioh Rukanga
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