Subheadline: A Nigerian church raises the alarm over the continuous targeting of its clergy and members in Kauru Local Government Area.

KADUNA – The United Church of Christ in Nigeria (HEKAN) has confirmed the killing of one of its pastors, Reverend Yahaya Kambasiya, and the abduction of over 20 worshippers in a brutal attack on the Farin Dutse community, Kauru LGA, Kaduna State.

The assault occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, when heavily armed bandits stormed the community, firing sporadically and causing residents to flee in panic.

According to a statement by the HEKAN President, Reverend Dr. Amos Kiri, Reverend Kambasiya was shot and killed after emerging from hiding, believing the attackers had left.

“The bandits invaded the community and started shooting sporadically. Reverend Kambasiya and a few others took refuge in a nearby farm. Thinking the gunmen had left, he came out of hiding, only to be shot in the back. The bullet pierced through his chest, and he died instantly,” the statement detailed.

Dr. Kiri described the attack as “callous, inhumane, and wicked,” highlighting a distressing pattern of violence against Christian communities in the area. He noted that this incident is the latest in a series of attacks on HEKAN, including the abduction and subsequent death in captivity of another pastor in December 2024, and the kidnapping of four church members just days earlier on October 19, 2025.

The church has called on security agencies to immediately pursue the bandits and secure the release of those abducted. It has also officially notified the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and police authorities about the incident.

Dr. Kiri urged Nigerians to pray for the bereaved families and the captives, appealing for divine intervention in the nation’s escalating security crisis.