Terrorists on motorcycles have abducted Christian worshippers on their way to a church, the New Life for All Church, at Dan-Tsauni Gidan Haruna Community of Kankara, Katsina State, in the early hours of Sunday .
In Niger State, the Catholic priest of St. Peters and Paul Catholic Church in Kafin-koro in Paikoro local government area of Niger State, Rev Father Isaac Achi, has been burnt to death in his residence by terrorists.
Another priest, Father Collins, was shot on the shoulder as he made to escape the attack.
A bandit leader, popularly called Kachalla, and other cohorts were gunned down by security forces in Kaduna State.
In Niger State, failing to gain entrance into the Parish priest’s home, in the early hours of Sunday, the terrorists set the home ablaze after dousing it with petrol (premium motor spirit).
In Katsina, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aminu Masari on Christian Affairs, Ishaya Jurau confirmed the attack, but added that security agencies were already working for the freedom of the worshippers.
A clergyman was said to have escaped during the attack, but was injured.
Katsina, like other North-western states of Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, and Kebbi, have been notorious for the operation of blood-thirsty bandits and terrorists who now collect levies from farmers to access their farms.
A specific number has not been put on the number of lives that have been lost though it is estimated to be in thousands, while billions of Naira have been paid out as ransom.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has killed scores of bandits, including Ibrahim Kachalla Gudau.
Reputed to be one of the most dangerous bandit leaders, Gudau runs a gang that kills and abducted in the nort-western axis of the country.
Gudau’s gang is fingered in the killing of seven personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who were ambushed and killed by bandits in Kaduna State while on official duty, last week.
Gudau, whose corpse had gone viral in the social media, was one of those killed by the troops as they repelled an attack in Kankami village in Kaduna State.