In Ondo state, south-west Nigeria, gunmen have slain churchgoers.
"Only fiends from the nether zone" could have perpetrated this "heinous deed," according to President Muhammadu Buhari.
During a Sunday service, armed men stormed into St Francis Catholic Church in Owo. Witnesses stated they opened fire on the gathering before kidnapping a priest and many other churchgoers.
In recent months, Nigeria has seen an increase in violence.
Across the broad country, kidnappings and attacks have been recorded.
There are no official estimates for the number of people murdered or abducted in Sunday's violence. According to the Reuters news agency, "many worshipers were brought in dead" by a doctor at a nearby hospital. State legislator Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole informed the Associated Press news agency that children were among the deceased after visiting the church and hospital.
Ondo state governor Rotimi Akeredolu termed it a "vile and diabolical attack" on innocent people in a series of tweets. He urged people to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands.
In a statement released after being informed at the site, he continued, "The offenders will be sought down and they will pay for their crimes."
In a statement, President Buhari added, "No matter what, our country will never give in to bad and wicked individuals." He is nearing the end of his two-term president and has been chastised for failing to address the country's security issues.
No one has claimed responsibility for the incident, but armed groups in Nigeria are increasing their aggression, according to the BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja. However, the state of Ondo has been virtually unaffected till recently.
The leader of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, along with two other priests, was kidnapped exactly a week ago in the country's south-east.
According to the Methodist priest, he paid $240,000 (£190,000) to be set free with his accomplices. Two Catholic priests were abducted two weeks ago in Katsina, President Muhammadu Buhari's native state in Nigeria's north. They have not been made public.
Gunmen attacked the important train link between Abuja and Kaduna in northern Nigeria in March, killing at least nine people and kidnapping dozens more, many of whom are still being held captive.
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