October 31, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
Suspected armed Islamic terrorist launched a coordinated predawn raid on the village of Farin Dutse in Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, resulting in the killing of a pastor and the abduction of more than fifty residents, including worshippers from the United Church of Christ in Nigeria (HEKAN) congregation.
According to a statement issued by HEKAN President Amos G. Kiri, the assailants stormed the community of Farin Dutse in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Armed with automatic rifles and motorised transport, they opened fire indiscriminately and whisked away villagers from their homes.
The clergyman killed has been identified as Yahaya Kambasiya, a district pastor for HEKAN in Kauru. According to congregational reports cited in the church statement, Pastor Kambasiya had taken refuge in a nearby farm when gunfire erupted. Believing the attackers had left, he emerged only to be shot in the back. He reportedly died instantly after being hit by a bullet that penetrated his chest.
More than 50 persons, including church members, are now being held in captivity by the bandits, the statement added. The church said it had formally notified both the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State and law-enforcement authorities about the incident.
HEKAN’s leadership described the violent act as “callous, inhumane and wicked”, and pointed to a disturbing pattern of repeated attacks targeting its members in the Kauru district — including earlier abductions of four church members on October 19, 2025.
Local security forces have reportedly been alerted and are coordinating investigative and rescue operations. No official government comment or detailed operational update has yet been released. Witnesses said many residents fled their homes and hid in surrounding bushland as the attackers went door to door.
The attack deepens concerns about the escalating wave of banditry in north-western Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State where communities remain vulnerable to rapid and brutal raids. The abduction of worshippers in a church-connected community underscores the extent to which religious and community groups are being targeted.
For families and the local church, the incident has inflicted severe trauma — not only through the loss of a spiritual leader but through the abduction of neighbours and loved ones. The lack of timely protection and the chilling nature of the violence have raised broader questions about the government's ability to safeguard rural communities and places of worship.