Two Christian churches in Nigeria were attacked by gunmen during Sunday services on June 19, leaving several dead and many more captured by the assailants. The assault came just two weeks after 41 Christians were killed in a Catholic Church bombing on Pentecost Sunday.
The armed group rode into the village of Rubuh, in the Koduna state, on motorbike, where they attacked Maranatha Baptist Church and the Catholic Church of Saint-Moïse. Early reports cited three dead and over 30 captured, but a later report from Reuters places the number of dead at eight and 38 captured. No group had claimed responsibility for the assault as of the writing of this article.
Agenzia Fides reports that the Christians of Rubuh, who had already experienced a similar attack earlier this year, had moved their Mass times to 7 a.m. in hopes that any would-be attacker might arrive too late and miss the congregation. The gunmen arrived just after the services had started.
The assailants reportedly surrounded the churches and began their attack as the services were underway. According to Crux, the majority of the 38 captured were from the Baptist community, while most of those killed were Catholics.
The Associated Press spoke with Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, spokesperson for the Christian Association of Nigeria, who said:
