Seven people were killed and several others abducted during attacks on two churches in Ariko, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Easter Sunday. The First ECWA Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church were targeted by armed bandits who opened fire on worshippers and took victims into the bush. Mark Bawa, the councillor representing Awon Ward, confirmed the attacks, stating that the death toll could be as high as seven or eight, with many still missing. He described how the attackers arrived in large numbers, surrounded the area, and shot indiscriminately. The assaults occurred just two months after a similar incident in Kurmin Wali, also in Kachia LGA, where terrorists kidnapped multiple worshippers. No official statement has been issued by security agencies on the latest incident.
Mark Bawa's account of worshippers being hunted during Easter services exposes how little control the state has over Kachia's rural zones. With attacks now recurring in the same local government area, the pattern suggests security forces are either overwhelmed or absent. Nigerians in remote communities are effectively left to fend for themselves during major holidays. This is not an anomaly—it is the norm in areas where state presence has collapsed.
