Tension gripped the Agyaragu community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Sunday night after gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted Mrs. Patience Nasamu, wife of a local pastor, and a female church member.

Nasamu, who is nursing a three-month-old baby, was reportedly taken along with the church member, who had come to visit the family after a service.

Her husband, Pastor Samuel Nasamu of the Word of God Church, Agyaragu, described the ordeal as heartbreaking, saying the attack occurred around 8:15 p.m., shortly after he stepped out to pray for a sick church member.

“I barely left my wife and our visitor with our newborn baby when she called me. All I could hear was her voice in prayer; she couldn’t even tell me what was happening,” he told Vanguard. “When I rushed back, I discovered my wife and the church member had been abducted, leaving behind our three-month-old baby.”

Pastor Nasamu recounted that the attackers stormed his compound with hammers and fired sporadically after failing to break down doors and windows. He noted that men on motorcycles had been spotted in the area earlier that evening.

Police reportedly arrived after the incident and assured residents that efforts were underway to track down the kidnappers.

A resident of Agyaragu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed concern over the rising insecurity: “We live every day in fear of being kidnapped or killed if ransom is not paid. Several people, including farmers, are abducted daily. Help us tell Governor Abdullahi Sule that Agyaragu is now at the mercy of kidnappers.”

As of press time, Pastor Nasamu said he had received no communication from the kidnappers and appealed for prayers and swift intervention by security agencies to secure the release of his wife and the church member.