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Snapshot 5:Tue, Dec 16, 2025 12:36:11 PM GMT last edited by Kani

Gunmen Attack Church in Kogi, Kill 1, Abduct Up to 20

Gunmen Attack Church in Kogi, Kill 1, Abduct Up to 20

Above: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church (Mary Home) dramatizes the Stations of the Cross to mark Good Friday in Oke-Ira, Ogba in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 18, 2025. Image credit: Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images

The Spin

Terrorists are systematically targeting Christian communities in Kogi State during Christmas season with coordinated pre-dawn attacks, killing worshippers and abducting congregants while security forces arrive only after attackers have vanished into forests. Intelligence warnings from U.S. experts about planned Christmas attacks went unheeded, and despite standing agreements with American partners for drone surveillance and signal intelligence, Nigeria's military continues fighting blind instead of conducting proactive forest operations to stop these sectarian assaults.

KogiDespite Statethe recent incident, security forces arein activelyKogi winningState theare battlegaining ground against bandits, with localattackers huntersneutralized neutralizingwith foursupport attackersfrom andthe troopscivilian frompopulation theand Armyarmy and Policepolice nowunits deployed to protect communities. TheSince governmentPresident hasTinubu killedtook overoffice, more than 13,500 fighters sincehave Presidentbeen Tinubukilled, tookwhile office,talks andon ongoing U.S.-.–Nigeria security cooperation continue through diplomatic channels. isThe addressingviolence challengesis thatdriven stemlargely fromby resource competitionand power struggles rather than religious targeting. Most attacks don't discriminate between Muslims and Christians, and claims of a Christian genocide reflectmisread a fundamental misunderstanding of Nigeria's complex security situationreality.

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 12 percent chance that the United States will conduct a military attack within Nigeria before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0