Armed bandits attack church in Kaduna, kill medical doctor, abduct four worshippers

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers attacked Haske Baptist Church at Manini Tasha village, Kuriga Ward of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State killing a medical doctor while four worshippers were reportedly abducted.

A survivor, Yakubu Bala, said the bandits stormed the church on motorcycles around 9 am on Sunday morning, April 25, and shot sporadically at the worshipers.

Bala said his uncle. Dr. Zechariah Dogonyaro, a medical doctor with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, was shot dead by the bandits.

“Church service was going on when herdsmen just came and surrounded the church and started shooting. They came at about 9 am. They were many and were riding on motorcycles. They started shooting indiscriminately as we scampered for safety,” he narrated.

“My uncle,  Dr. Zechariah Dogonyaro, was killed instantly. He works with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health. They shot him and he died on the spot. They kidnapped five people including my late brother’s wife, my stepmother, my elder brother’s daughter, and two other people. As I am talking to you now, we have not seen some of the villagers who ran into the bush.” he added.

Samuel Aruwan, the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, confirmed the incident in a statement that said four persons were kidnapped.

“The Kaduna State Government has condemned in the strongest terms the attack by armed bandits on a place of worship on Sunday morning in Manini village, Chikun local government area,” he stated.

“Security agencies reported to the Government that armed bandits attacked congregants at Haske Baptist Church, Manini, about 9:30 am, and killed a worshipper, Dr Zechariah Dogonyaro. According to the report, about four worshippers were abducted from the church,” he added.

He said Governor Nasir El-Rufai roundly denounced the attack on the church in Chikun LGA as a shocking act of depraved persons far removed from humanity.

The Governor said that attacking innocent worshipers who were exercising their natural and lawful right to assemble in worship, represented the worst kind of evil.

The Governor sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Haske Baptist Church.