The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the deadly attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, describing it as another proof that the Federal Government has failed to curb worsening insecurity across the country.

Gunmen had stormed the church during service, killing some worshippers and abducting others, including the pastor. The incident occurred barely hours after armed men attacked a school community in Kebbi State, killing officials and kidnapping several students.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the pattern of attacks suggested that Nigerians now “live at the mercy of gunmen who appear emboldened by the government’s inability to act decisively.”

The party expressed concern that the previously dismissed “Christian genocide” narrative may be taking root due to what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to conduct an honest appraisal of the security situation.

Abdullahi faulted remarks recently credited to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who reportedly claimed in an interview that only 177 Christians were killed in the last five years. He said such a comment was “unfortunate, offensive, and reflective of a government that does not understand the magnitude of the crisis.”

According to him, “Deaths cannot be reduced to numbers. One innocent worshipper cut down while praying, as seen in the video of the Eruku attack, is enough tragedy. Yet the government continues to engage in a dangerous and divisive argument over casualty figures.”

The ADC said what it found more troubling was the Tinubu administration’s “defensive mindset” and “tendency to downplay the growing wave of violence,” warning that Nigeria was “fast turning into a killing field.”

“Communities are grieving, families are being destroyed, and the government responds with excuses, denial and rhetoric,” the statement said. “Nigerians deserve protection, not platitudes.”

The party urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently move to halt what it called a descent into anarchy before it “consumes the nation.”