ISWAP claims responsibility for Kogi Celestial church attack

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a franchise of the Islamic State (ISIS), has claimed responsibility for an attack on a church in Kogi State.

What happened: According to reports, at least two worshippers were shot dead while three others were injured as gunmen numbering about six attacked a Celestial Church located in Felele area of Lokoja in Kogi State.

The incident happened late Sunday evening, October 16, 2022, behind NNPC Mega station in Felele.

An eyewitness said the gunmen who were fully armed stormed the church and started shooting sporadically.

The injured victims were said to be receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Lokoja.

ISWAP claims damage: According to Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert, ISWAP said its men were behind the attack.

ISWAP reportedly have a camp inside Okene forest from where it is coordinating attacks in Kogi State.

The terrorists have intensified attacks on soft targets especially churches located in isolated communities following their inability to launch attacks on military formations in Kogi.

HURIWA reacts to the attack: MEANWHILE, a human rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned the attack.

The rights group regretted that Kogi State is becoming a hotbed of terrorists actions, targeting citizens because the government has done nothing significant to deal decisively with such criminal acts of terrorism targeting a significant percentage of her citizens.

The group in a statement by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed sadness at the terror attack and also condemned the recent coordinated arson attack targeting the complex of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

Condemning the spate of attacks on Churches in Kogi State, masterminded by suspected armed ISWAP terrorists, HURIWA asked Kogi State government to put measures in place to stamp out the attacks on places of worship.