Eight Christians were abducted by armed men who attacked their church bus as it traveled along Akure-Ilesa Road in Ondo state, Nigeria.
The bandits launched their attack against the Christ Apostolic Church bus at around 6 p.m. local time, forcing the victims to march into the forest.
Police and soldiers responding to the incident were unable to locate the Christians or their abductors.
One witness described how “the bandits suddenly ran out of the forests and started shooting at us,” adding, “The attackers were Fulani.”
Fulani Islamist militants are often involved in the abduction or murder of Christians in Nigeria.
This incident is at least the third of its kind to take place in Nigeria in the last two months. In March eight Christians were abducted from a church minibus in Kaduna state; they were subsequently released.
In April one Christian was killed, four others injured, and a further four abducted by bandits in an attack on a church bus, also in Kaduna.