By Amah
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By James
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Fresh details have emerged on how terrorists on Sunday stormed churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting over 100 worshippers during ongoing Sunday services.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers struck almost simultaneously, arriving in large numbers and surrounding at least three churches while congregants were deep in prayer and worship. Armed and heavily mobilised, the assailants reportedly fired sporadic gunshots to instill panic, forcefully bringing the services to an abrupt halt.
Residents recounted that the terrorists ordered worshippers to lie face-down before marching many of them away through nearby bush paths leading out of the community. The operation, according to locals, was swift and well-coordinated, suggesting prior surveillance and detailed knowledge of the area as well as church service schedules.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) confirmed the abductions. However, the Kaduna State Police Command disputed the reports, challenging anyone with information to provide the names and particulars of the alleged victims.
Providing clarification, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said the incident occurred at Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1 and Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2 in Kurmin Wali community. He disclosed that eight of the abducted worshippers managed to escape, but added that about 163 persons were still being held by their captors.
“Security agencies are already on top of the situation. We commend their efforts and urge them to do everything possible to ensure that our brothers and sisters are rescued safely and unhurt as soon as possible,” Hayab said.
Contradicting this account, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, described the report as false, claiming no such incident took place in the area. He alleged that the story was being pushed by what he termed “conflict entrepreneurs” seeking to incite tension.
“The story is a fabrication. Anyone claiming that people were kidnapped should come forward with names and concrete details,” Rabiu told journalists, warning against the spread of unverified information.
Regardless of the controversy, Kajuru Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna has, in recent years, remained a major flashpoint for terrorist attacks, mass abductions, and violent incursions on rural communities. Despite repeated assurances by government authorities, residents insist that security presence in the area remains grossly inadequate.
The latest incident has reignited fear among Christian communities and heightened concerns over what many describe as a growing pattern of attacks targeting churches and religious gatherings. Community leaders have renewed calls on the federal and Kaduna State governments to urgently deploy robust security measures, secure places of worship, and dismantle terrorist networks operating across the region.
Similar attacks on churches in northern Nigeria have also drawn international attention, fuelling allegations by some foreign observers and lawmakers of systematic persecution of Christians.
In December, the United States government announced military strikes in parts of northwestern Nigeria, including Sokoto, allegedly targeting Islamic State-linked groups operating in the region.
