By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ABUJA (Worthy News) - Suspected Islamic gunmen have attacked a church in north-central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her young daughter, as part of an ongoing anti-Christian campaign, authorities say.
The motorcycle-riding assailants reportedly arrived at the Celestial Church on Sunday and fatally shot the two victims, said Jerry Omodara, Kogi state’s top security official.
The church raid in the Lokoja area of Kogi state, 105 kilometers (65 miles) from Nigeria’s capital city Abuja, was the latest in a series of attacks against Christians.
Sunday’s violence renewed concerns about safety at houses of worship in Nigeria after a Catholic church massacre in Ondo state left at least 40 worshippers dead in June.
There have been at least seven major attacks targeting mainly churches and mosques this year alone.
Nigerian officials said the shooters in the latest attack in Kogi specifically targeted the church and its members.
“It looked like it was organized against that particular church because their altar was burned with petrol they went with,” Omodara said in a statement.
The anti-Christian violence added to turmoil in Nigeria, which is also dealing with the worst flooding in a decade that killed more than 600 and displaced almost 1.5 million people.
More flooding is expected in Nigeria, which braces for more high-intensity rain.