ARMED bandits on Tuesday launched a deadly attack on Farin Dutse community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing a cleric of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria (UCCN), popularly known as HEKAN, and abducting more than 20 members of the church.
The victim, Reverend Yahaya Kambasaya, was reportedly shot dead after attempting to check on residents once sporadic gunfire died down.
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday in Kaduna, HEKAN President, Reverend Amos Kiri, condemned the attack, describing it as “callous, inhumane and targeted intimidation against the church and innocent Christians.”
According to the church, heavily armed men stormed the village in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, shooting indiscriminately and causing residents to flee into nearby bushes.
“Reverend Kambasaya and a few others hid in a farm,” Rev. Kiri explained.
“When the gunshots stopped, he thought the attackers had gone. As he came out, he was shot from behind. The bullet pierced through his chest, and he died instantly.”
His body has since been deposited in a morgue pending burial arrangements.
The church revealed that four other members of HEKAN in Kakude branch were kidnapped on October 19 and remain in captivity in addition to the 20 abducted on Tuesday.
Rev. Kiri lamented that Kauru communities have endured unrelenting attacks from criminal gangs believed to be bandits or cattle rustlers.
The denomination appealed for urgent action from security agencies to rescue the abductees and prevent further bloodshed.
“Families are traumatized. Farmers cannot go to their fields for fear of being slaughtered or kidnapped,” Rev. Kiri lamented.
“We call on authorities to do everything necessary to secure the release of our members.”
The church asked Nigerians to stand with its members in prayer during what it described as a period of “deep sorrow and national despair.”
“We request prayers for the family of our slain pastor, the abducted members, and our community. May God intervene in Nigeria’s worsening security situation,” the statement read.