Kaduna church attack: Identities of slain, kidnapped worshippers revealed

Bandits riding on over 20 motorcycles invaded the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Kaduna State during an Easter service, killing five worshippers and abducting 29 others in an attack that has left the Arikon community completely deserted.

New details have emerged regarding the brutal attack by bandits on the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the Arikon community of Kachia Local Government Area, Kaduna State, during an Easter Sunday service. A security source revealed that the assailants, operating on over 20 motorcycles, surrounded the church while the service was ongoing and opened fire indiscriminately. The gunfire claimed the lives of five worshippers identified as Tanko Haruna, Waziri Agunu, Aminu Soba, Joseph Audu, and Adamu Jatau, all of whom were shot while attempting to escape the scene. The violence also spilled over to a nearby Catholic Church, where panic-stricken worshippers fled upon hearing the initial rounds of ammunition. “Actually, the bandits first attacked the ECWA church. And while they were shooting, worshipers at the Catholic Church started running out of the church but the bandits killed one of them,” the source stated.

The attack resulted in the mass abduction of 29 individuals, including several entire families who were led into the forest by the gunmen. Among those identified as kidnapped are Garba Tanko, his wife Lami, their daughter Rachel, and a grandchild, Moses Yakubu. Other victims include Rahab Usman and his daughter Victoria, Sunday Ayuba, and the family of Dantani Alhaji, whose wife Mary and three daughters—Helen, Rejoice, and Ahmadu—were also taken. Following the incursion, the Arikon community has been reported as completely deserted, with surviving residents fleeing to neighboring towns such as Katari, Jere, and Kachia for safety.

In response to the tragedy, a high-level security delegation led by the Kaduna State Police Commissioner, CP Rabiu Mohammed, and the Sector 4 Commander of the Nigerian Army, Col. IR ADOM, arrived in the community with a convoy of over 30 vehicles to assess the situation. Despite the heavy security presence now in the area, the state’s Police Command spokesperson, DSP Hassan Mansur, had yet to issue an official public comment as of Monday morning, April 6, 2026. The incident marks another devastating blow to the security of religious gatherings in the North-West, coming at a time when the nation was celebrating the conclusion of the Lenten season.