Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA | Kaduna State
The mass abduction of worshippers from three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has once again laid bare the scale, complexity, and human cost of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis — one marked not only by violence, but by official confusion, delayed responses, and deepening mistrust between rural communities and the state.
In the early hours of Sunday, January 18, armed men stormed the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and two Cherubim and Seraphim congregations while worship services were ongoing, forcing entire families — children, the elderly, and nursing mothers among them — into the surrounding forest at gunpoint.
Initial reports put the number of abducted worshippers at 177. Days later, police and human rights organisations confirmed that at least 167 people remain in captivity, making the attack one of the largest mass church kidnappings recorded in Kaduna State in recent years.
What has followed is a chain of denials, reversals, public outrage, and renewed international attention — all of which underscore the persistent gaps in intelligence gathering, emergency response, and civilian protection in Nigeria’s rural communities.
For residents of Kurmin Wali, the attack was not an isolated tragedy — it was the second time in just one week that gunmen had struck their community.
Only days earlier, residents reportedly raised ₦2.6 million to secure the release of 20 villagers abducted by the same armed groups. Families had barely begun to recover when the attackers returned — this time in larger numbers, with greater coordination, and with churches as their primary targets.
Among the victims is the husband of Afiniki Moses, who had herself regained freedom just days before the Sunday raid after her family paid ransom.
“They kidnapped a large number of people in the community and my husband happened to be among them,” she said, fighting back tears as she spoke to journalists. “As you can see me now, I am not feeling fine.”
Her two children escaped during the chaos. Their father did not.
A police situation report later obtained by journalists confirmed that the gunmen arrived at about 11:25 a.m., firing sporadically as they split into three groups to attack the churches simultaneously.
The attackers arrived on motorcycles and on foot — a tactic consistent with previous bandit operations across southern Kaduna and neighboring parts of Niger and Zamfara states.
Inside one of the churches, the signs of terror were still visible hours later: overturned plastic chairs, abandoned musical instruments, hymn books scattered across the floor, and a Bible left open on a seat where worship had suddenly turned into flight.
Idris Madami, who escaped from the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, said nearly his entire extended family was taken.
“I have two wives and three children among those kidnapped,” he said quietly. “I don’t know where they are.”
A list released by community leaders and the Adara Development Association (ADA) reveals the scale of the devastation.
Entire families were abducted — in some cases leaving villages almost empty of able-bodied residents.
According to the list:
- Amos family: 13 members abducted
- Jonathan family: 12 members
- Markus/Makudi family: 10 members
- Ishaya and Danisa families: 7 members each
- Bawa family: 6 members
- Danjuma and Musa families: 5 members each
The youngest victim is Salvation Idris, aged six. The oldest is Augustina Matthew, 71. Several other children under the age of 10 remain missing, alongside elderly women and nursing mothers.
Human rights groups confirmed that some elderly women and very young children were later released, while 11 people managed to escape during the march into the forest. The majority, however, remain unaccounted for.
Police Denial, Then Reversal
If the attack itself was traumatic, the official response deepened the sense of abandonment.
On Monday, the Kaduna State Police Command dismissed reports of the abductions as “falsehoods peddled by conflict entrepreneurs”, publicly challenging residents and journalists to produce the names of victims.
The denial sparked immediate outrage from church leaders, rights organizations, and residents who were still searching for their relatives.
Within 24 hours, the police reversed their position.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the abductions, explaining that the initial denial followed conflicting reports presented at a security council meeting chaired by Governor Uba Sani.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, subsequently ordered the deployment of tactical units and intelligence assets to Kajuru and surrounding communities, with search-and-rescue operations now underway.
human rights organizations say the damage was already done.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSW-N) and Amnesty International accused security forces of blocking access to Kurmin Wali in the crucial hours after the attack, preventing independent verification and documentation.
CSW-N said its team was turned back by soldiers despite presenting proper identification.
Amnesty International described the police denial as “appalling”.
“This demonstrates once again the utter failure of Nigerian authorities to end the endemic impunity of killings and abductions,” said Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director.
Anger is now rising within the community.
The Adara Development Association has demanded a public apology from the Kaduna State Police Commissioner and the Kajuru Local Government Chairman, accusing them of deliberately suppressing information and showing a lack of empathy toward victims.
Community leaders say survivors and families of the abducted are willing to testify, insisting that the truth was never in doubt — only ignored.
The abductions have drawn condemnation from across Nigeria’s political and religious spectrum.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi described the incident as “another unfortunate consequence of a nation where insecurity has been allowed to grow unchecked”, warning that Nigerians are no longer safe even in places of worship.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action to end what it called a recurring tragedy.
In the United States, Congressman Riley Moore described the abduction as “horrific” and called for urgent rescue operations.
International groups including CSW and Barnabas Aid say the attack fits a long-standing pattern of violence in southern Kaduna, where communities have faced repeated raids since the murder of the Agom Adara III in 2018.
The Kurmin Wali abduction did not happen in isolation.
It occurred amid a wider wave of kidnappings across northern and central Nigeria, including a separate incident in nearby Kujama, where a nursing mother was abducted and her baby left behind. Her family has reportedly been asked to pay ₦150 million in ransom, while her husband suffered severe machete wounds trying to resist the attackers.
Security analysts say poor road access, weak intelligence sharing, delayed response times, and the absence of permanent security presence continue to allow armed groups to operate with near impunity — even as the government declares some militia groups terrorists.
As of Wednesday, security operations were still ongoing. Families remain without proof of life from most abducted relatives, and many residents have fled Kurmin Wali entirely, leaving behind empty homes and silent churches.
With official confirmations now aligned with community accounts, attention has shifted to whether rescue operations will be swift and decisive — or whether, as in previous cases, negotiations and ransom payments will once again replace state authority.
For now, Kurmin Wali stands as a stark symbol of Nigeria’s unresolved security crisis — and a painful reminder that behind every statistic are families, faith communities, and villages being erased one attack at a time.