BREAKING New Attacks of Churches and Catholic Convent with Kidnappings - Please Pray!

Diocese of Kontagora Under Siege: Churches and Convent Targeted in Coordinated Attacks

KONTAGORA, Nigeria — The Diocese of Kontagora is reeling following a wave of coordinated attacks by armed gangs that targeted a Catholic clinic, a convent, and several local communities across Niger State on Sunday, February 1.

In a statement released by the Diocese, Father Matthew Stephen Kabirat, Director of Communications, described a "scene of terror" as bandits moved through the Agwara and Mashegu Local Government Areas (LGAs) with little resistance.

Assault on Agwara

The violence began in the early hours of Sunday morning in the town of Agwara. Attackers first targeted a local police station, using dynamite to severely damage the facility.

According to the Niger State Police Command, tactical teams were deployed but were ultimately overpowered by the sheer force of the assailants.

Following the destruction of the station, the gang kidnapped five members of a single family from the home of local resident Ahmed Burade. The attackers then set fire to the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) in Agwara.

The Diocese reports that the brutality of the assault has caused a mass exodus, with terrified residents seeking refuge in the surrounding bush.

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Terror in Tugan Gero: Clinic and Convent Looted

Simultaneously, the community of Tugan Gero in the Mashegu LGA was plunged into chaos. At approximately 2:00 a.m., armed criminals launched a targeted attack on the Tugan Gero clinic and the attached convent, both owned and operated by the Diocese of Kontagora.

"The bandits acted freely for several hours before withdrawing, leaving the residents with fear, destruction, and deep sorrow," Father Kabirat stated.

While the religious sisters serving the community managed to escape into the night before the attackers arrived, the clinic—a vital source of healthcare for the rural region—was looted and vandalized. Medical equipment was either stolen or destroyed, rendering the facility inoperable.

The violence continued on the roads, where bandits fired upon passing vehicles, killing one passenger and kidnapping an unknown number of others before attacking the local UMCA church.

Source: https://fides.org/en/news/77320-AFRICA_NIGERIA_Convent_Catholic_Hospital_and_two_Protestant_Churches_attacked_in_North_Central_Nigeria