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

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

Her husband, Pastor Samuel Nasamu of the Word of God Church, Agyaragu, recounted the ordeal, describing it as heartbreaking.

According to him, the attack happened 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 new-born 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,” he added.

Narrating further, Pastor Nasamu said the attackers stormed his compound with hammers and attempted to break down his doors and windows.

“When they could not succeed, they started shooting sporadically. That was when my wife was forced to open the door. She tried to escape but they seized her alongside the visitor,” he said.

The cleric noted that strange men on motorcycles had been spotted in the area earlier in the evening before gunshots rang out.

The pastor confirmed that the police arrived after the attack and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to track down the kidnappers.

A resident of Agyaragu, who pleaded anonymity, expressed concern about the growing insecurity in the area.

“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,” the resident said.

As of press time, Pastor Nasamu said he had not received any word from the kidnappers regarding his wife and the church member.

He appealed for prayers and swift intervention from security agencies to secure their release.