Fulani herdsmen and other attackers reportedly kidnapped a pastor and three other Christians on Saturday (Jan. 13) in central Nigeria, sources said.
The Rev. Haanongon Gideon, a pastor and council member of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State, and the three others were ambushed on the Katsina-Ala-Zaki Biam Highway, said Jonathan Modi, Secretary of the Ukum Local Government Council.
The pastor and his personal assistant, Ior Silas Yuhwam, along with his driver and a police orderly, were kidnapped while on their way to attend a burial, Modi said.
RELATED: Check out other stories on the persecuted church here.
More kidnappings of Christians took place in Nigeria, with 3,300, than any other country, and it remained the deadliest place to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Morning Star News.
