Gunmen killed at least two people and kidnapped pastor, along with several worshippers, after they stormed a church on Tuesday evening in Eruku, a town in central Nigeria’s Kwara State, local police and witnesses said on Wednesday.

The assault comes just days after a separate incident in which 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school, intensifying scrutiny over the country’s security situation.

Government under pressure

President Bola Tinubu has since cut short a planned trip to South Africa and Angola for the G20 and AU‑EU summits to receive security briefings, his office said. He also ordered a major operation to hunt down the assailants in Kwara and instructed security agencies to “do everything possible” to rescue both the kidnapped pastor and the schoolgirls, his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga added.

The church attack adds to a growing list of security crises in Nigeria, including an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, widespread abductions by armed gangs in the northwest, and violent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farmers in the central belt.

International voice: Nicki Minaj calls for action

On Tuesday, globally recognized rapper Nicki Minaj appealed for international action to defend religious freedom in Nigeria. Speaking at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, the Trinidad-born artist, who now lives in New York, warned that Christians in Nigeria “are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed.”

Who is Nicki Minaj?

Nicki Minaj (real name Onika Tanya Maraj) is a Trinidadian-born rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress.

She was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, and moved with her family to Queens, New York, when she was five. Her early life was difficult: her father struggled with drug addiction, and she has spoken about the turmoil of her upbringing.

She attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York, where she explored acting and music.

Minaj broke into mainstream rap in the late 2000s, releasing several mixtapes before signing with Young Money Entertainment. She is known for her bold persona, colorful wigs, rapid-fire rap style, and alter egos, such as “Roman Zolanski.”

Over her career, she has released multiple hit albums — including Pink Friday, Roman Reloaded, The Pinkprint, Queen, and Pink Friday 2.

Aside from music, she has acted in films like The Other Woman and voiced characters in animated movies such as Ice Age: Continental Drift. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the most successful female rappers of all time.

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Dan Mitchell

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