Bandits Kill Pastor, Abduct 20 Worshippers in Fresh Kaduna Attack

Tension has gripped the Farin Dutse community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State following a deadly bandit attack that claimed the life of a clergyman and led to the abduction of more than 20 worshippers.

The United Church of Christ in Nigeria (UCCN), also known as HEKAN, confirmed that one of its pastors, Reverend Yahaya Kambasiya, was killed in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, when heavily armed assailants stormed the quiet community, shooting sporadically and abducting several villagers.

In a statement issued by the President of HEKAN, Reverend Dr. Amos Kiri, the church condemned the assault as “callous, inhumane, and wicked,” describing it as yet another dark episode in the growing wave of violence targeting Christian communities in southern Kaduna.

“With a heavy heart, I inform the public of the brutal killing of one of our pastors and the abduction of over 20 persons in Farin Dutse,” Dr. Kiri said. “These repeated attacks on our members are heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

Quoting a report from the Chairman of the HEKAN Kauru District Church Council, Reverend Dauda Gambo, Dr. Kiri explained that the gunmen invaded the area before dawn, opening fire and forcing terrified residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

“Reverend Kambasiya and a few others ran into a nearby farm to hide. Believing the gunmen had left, he came out of hiding, but was shot in the back. The bullet pierced through his chest, and he died instantly,” the report stated.

The body of the slain pastor has been deposited at a hospital morgue, while the church says discussions are ongoing with his family on funeral arrangements.

The HEKAN leadership expressed deep concern over the continuous attacks on its members in Kaduna, recalling several previous incidents. On December 4, 2024, bandits abducted about 50 persons, including another pastor, Reverend Francis Lawal, who later died in captivity. Similarly, on October 19, 2025, four members of the church in Kakude were kidnapped and remain in the hands of their captors.

“The recurring assaults on our congregations in Kauru are deeply worrisome,” Dr. Kiri lamented. “We call on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the culprits and rescue those still in captivity. Families of victims are going through unbearable trauma.”

The HEKAN President also called on Nigerians to pray for the bereaved families and for divine intervention in the country’s worsening security situation, which has left thousands displaced and communities devastated across the North.

Residents of Kauru have continued to live in fear amid rising insecurity in rural Kaduna, where armed bandits frequently raid villages, looting properties, rustling livestock, and abducting residents for ransom.

As of press time, neither the Kaduna State Police Command nor state authorities had issued an official statement regarding the latest attack.

Abdulazeez Toheeb Olawale