Gunmen kill three and abduct Catholic priest in Kaduna village raid

Gunmen attacked the home of a Catholic parish priest in Karku village, Kauru local government area of Kaduna state in an early-morning raid, killing three people and abducting the parish priest, Reverend Nathaniel Asuwaye, local church and security sources said. Reuters reported the assault occurred at about 3:20 a.m., while the Associated Press cited church officials who said it was around 3 a.m.

The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan described the assault as "an act of invasion by a group of terrorists" and said the priest and 10 others were taken, and three local residents were killed. Kaduna state police offered a different account, telling Reuters that five people including the priest were kidnapped and that the three fatalities were two soldiers and a police officer killed during a gunfight with the attackers. Both wire services and the diocese agree on the essentials: a predawn attack on the clergyman's residence, three fatalities and the abduction of Reverend Asuwaye — but they differ sharply on the total number and identities of those seized and killed.

The incident comes days after security forces in the state rescued 166 worshippers who had been abducted in separate church attacks, according to Reuters, and follows reporting by AP that more than 150 Christians were seized from three churches in Kaduna in January and released this week. The string of mass abductions and raids reflects an intensifying security crisis across northern Nigeria that analysts say now combines Islamist militant operations with criminal gangs that kidnap for ransom.

The pattern has significant political and economic implications. President Bola Tinubu, elected in 2023 on a promise to restore security, has faced mounting criticism for the government's handling of the violence. U.S. officials have publicly faulted Nigerian authorities for failing to protect religious communities, and the recent cross-state spread of violence has increased pressure on Abuja to recalibrate its security strategy.

Beyond politics, the renewed violence raises economic risks. Kaduna is a key agricultural and manufacturing hub; persistent raids and kidnappings disrupt local markets, reduce labor availability during planting and harvest seasons, and discourage investment in rural agribusiness. Financial markets tend to price in such instability through higher risk premiums on sovereign debt and potential depreciation pressure on the naira, though official market moves tied to this specific incident were not reported at the time of filing. For local communities, repeated attacks deepen displacement, strain diocesan resources, and raise the immediate costs of security for churches and schools.

Authorities did not provide an immediate public update on rescue efforts around Karku, and the differing official and diocesan tallies underline the uncertainty that often follows fast-moving attacks. Key questions remain: the exact number and identities of those abducted, whether any victims have since been released, the circumstances of the reported gunfight, and whether a coordinated state or federal operation is underway to recover the priest and other captives.

The attack reinforces long-term trends of violence migrating southward from traditional hotspots, complicating both military responses and civil protections. Until authorities reconcile the conflicting counts and publicly outline next steps, communities in Kaduna and beyond will confront heightened fear and economic fragility driven by a security crisis that shows few signs of abating.