Assailants in Nigeria have attacked a church during a service, killing at least two worshippers and abducting the pastor and several others, authorities said.

The attack on the church in Eruku, in central Nigeria, sent the community into panic. Residents and travelers fled into nearby bushes for safety, ABC News has learned.

The assault came just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi state in the country's northwest. The two incidents appear to have intensified pressure on the government to address a wave of attacks and kidnappings across the country.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu postponed a planned trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the G20 summit as he awaited further security briefings on both the schoolgirl abductions and the attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, in Kwara state.

Meanwhile, a search and rescue operation is under way involving police, military personnel and local residents to locate the 25 students kidnapped from a school in Kebbi state, Nigeria’s police force has said.

Police said in a statement that "a gang of armed bandits" armed with "sophisticated weapons" stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School at about 4 a.m. local time, firing sporadically.

The Kebbi state police commissioner reiterated the force’s "unwavering determination in safeguarding the lives and property of the residents of Kebbi state" and urged the public to remain calm, vigilant and supportive of police efforts to maintain peace and stability.