Bandits murder Christian minister in north Nigeria abduction attack

The church authorities described the attack as callous, inhumane and an attempt to frustrate the church and its members, especially in the affected area of Kaduna State.

Bandits murdered a Christian minister in Nigeria’s Kaduna State in late October, amid intensifying debate about the persecution of Christians across the country.

Revd Yahaya Kambasaya, of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, known as HEKAN, was killed by gunmen who attacked the Farin Dutse community in the Kaura Local Government Area on 28 October. They also abducted more than 20 people, including other HEKAN members.

According to a statement from HEKAN president the Revd Amos Kiri, “four other members of HEKAN Church, Kakude Local Church Branch, were earlier kidnapped on 19 October and are still being held captive”.

“HEKAN members, especially in the Kauru Local Government axis, have been experiencing attacks by armed men suspected to be bandits or cattle rustlers,” Kiri said. “With a deep heart, on behalf of HEKAN headquarters, I wish to inform the world of a tragic incident … of bandits’ attack on our pastor and some other persons in the area.”

He reported that ”heavily armed bandits/cattle rustlers” broke into the community “and perpetrated evil on innocent residents”. He said “the bandits invaded the community and started shooting sporadically at the locals and whisked away those captured”, while Kambasiya was part of a group who “had to hide in a farm till the end of the gunshots, which lasted a bit long”.

“Immediately the bandits stopped shooting, [Kambasiya] thought they had gone, so he came out of his hiding in the farm to check, only for him to be shot [in] the back. The bullet penetrated through his chest, and he died immediately,” Kiri said.

The HEKAN authorities described the attack as callous, inhumane and an attempt to frustrate the church and its members, especially in the affected area. They called on the security services and all relevant authorities to pursue the bandits and rescue those kidnapped.

The church also prayed to God to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria, especially regarding the security challenges that have been claiming lives and properties of citizens and causing fear for many – including farmers who cannot access their farms to harvest their produce due to fear of being killed or kidnapped for ransom.

“HEKAN, as a church, requests your prayers for the family, the church and the community during this trying moment,” Kiri said.

The same church community suffered a similar attack on 4 December last year, with 50 people abducted including its pastor Revd Francis Lawal, according to the HEKAN statement. One of the abductees died, while several others returned with various degrees of injury.

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