Soldiers free 31 Nigerian Christians after armed men stormed church during Easter Sunday service

Gunmen opened fire on congregants celebrating the religious holiday, leaving five people dead at the scene.

However, Caleb Maaji, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria for Kaduna state, reported a higher toll, stating that two churches in the village were targeted and seven worshippers lost their lives.

"Findings are still ongoing," Mr Maaji told Reuters, noting that the precise number of those initially seized remained unclear.

Soldiers confronted the attackers in an intense gun battle, the army stated, which compelled the armed group to abandon both their captives and the bodies of those killed.

Military officials reported that the retreating gunmen suffered considerable losses during the exchange, with blood trails discovered along their escape paths serving as evidence of injuries sustained.

Additional troops have since been dispatched to pursue the insurgents and bolster security across the affected area.

The army has called upon local residents to provide intelligence that could assist ongoing operations against criminal networks destabilising the region.

Despite military claims of a rapid response, local media outlets reported that community members described the gunmen operating in the area for an extended period before encountering any resistance from security forces.

Northwest Nigeria has been plagued by violence for years, with armed groups launching village raids and carrying out mass kidnappings for ransom from hideouts scattered across the region's extensive forests.

Jihadist organisations and criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, pose persistent security threats throughout the country's northern territories.

In a separate operation, Nigerian forces eliminated 65 bandits during an offensive in Zamfara state, AFP reported on Sunday.

The military action came days after a substantial group of armed men seized residents from multiple villages in that state.

Police confirmed on Saturday that a mass abduction had taken place in Zamfara earlier in the week and announced that a search operation was underway to locate those responsible and recover the victims.

Donald Trump expressed concern late last year regarding the treatment of Christians in Nigeria, pressing the African nation for enhanced security measures and strengthened safeguards for Christian communities.

The US President had previously alleged that a "Christian genocide" was occurring in the country, a characterisation firmly disputed by Nigerian authorities.

Nigeria maintains that victims of such attacks included Muslims, Christians, and those without religious affiliation.

American military personnel arrived in Nigeria in February to provide training for local forces and share intelligence in the ongoing struggle against Islamist militants and other armed factions operating in the region.

Research by the charity Open Doors suggests Nigeria is the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution.

Around 3,490 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2026, with another 2,293 being abducted.

An additional 1,000 Christians were raped or sexually assaulted and an estimated 10,000 were physically or mentally abused.

Most of the violence against Christians is carried out by Muslim Fulani militants and “bandits” of Fulani descent, with other attacks being authorised by Boko Haram and the Islamic State – West Africa Province.

Despite being a secular nation, a dozen Nigerian regions have adopted Sharia law since 1999.