Kogi State pastor and Sokoto bride kidnapped

In Nigeria’s latest kidnapping spree, gunmen kidnapped at least 20 people, including a pastor and a new bride, in two separate attacks.

Attackers attacked the newly established Church of Cherubim and Seraphim in central Kogi state on Sunday, opening fire and forcing congregants to flee in panic. They arrested the pastor, his wife and several believers.

The night before, a bride and her bridesmaids were kidnapped in another attack in the northern state of Sokoto. A baby, the baby’s mother and another woman were also taken away, AFP reported.

Schools and places of worship are increasingly being targeted in the latest wave of attacks in northern and central Nigeria.

It’s unclear who was behind the kidnappings – most analysts believe they were carried out by criminal gangs for ransom – but a presidential spokesman said told the BBC they believed these were the work of jihadist groups.

Kogi State Government spokesperson Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the attack in Ejiba to the BBC but could not confirm the exact number.

He said authorities were working to track down the attackers.

“The security network, which consists of traditional security agencies and local security architecture, are currently doing what they should be doing,” he told the BBC.

In the attack in the predominantly Muslim state of Sokoto, local media reported that the bride was preparing for her wedding the next morning and was captured along with friends and other guests who had come to support her.

Some 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still believed to be missing after the largest such attack in recent weeks, while those captured in other attacks have reportedly been released.

A series of kidnappings has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of rural communities. This has increased pressure on authorities to step up protection for at-risk groups such as schools, churches and isolated communities.

Paying ransom has been banned in an effort to stem the lucrative kidnapping industry, but it is widely believed that such payments are still being made.

Nigeria’s security crisis drew international attention last month when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “continue to allow the killing of Christians” if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”

Nigerian officials and analysts say members of all faiths have been victims of violence and kidnapping, and say there is no truth to claims that Christians are being targeted.

Additional reporting by Basilioh Pages