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Fresh details have emerged over the mass abduction of worshippers in Kaduna State, with terrorists demanding a staggering ₦250 million and 20 motorcycles as conditions for releasing scores of captives seized during church services in Kajuru Local Government Area.
The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed that the demand followed the January 17, 2026 attack in which gunmen stormed three churches mid-service and abducted congregants en masse. The affected churches were Cherubim and Seraphim Church I, Cherubim and Seraphim Church II, and the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA).
Speaking during a telephone interview on Monday night, Dan’azumi said the abductors later contacted community leaders, accusing Kurmin Wali residents of stealing 17 motorcycles allegedly lost by the group during recent military operations in the area.
“They called and said the community must raise ₦250 million and provide 20 motorcycles before the worshippers will be released,” he said. The attackers further alleged that villagers dismantled parts of the remaining motorcycles left behind during the military push.
Nine days after the raid, more than 100 worshippers were still believed to be in captivity, heightening fear and anguish across the community and drawing concern from religious leaders and residents alike.
Attempts to obtain an official response from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
In a separate but related incident, gunmen in Ekiti State have demanded ₦100 million ransom following the abduction of five women, including a pregnant woman and a nursing mother, in Erinmope-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area.
The head of the affected family, Muhammad Okanlawon, popularly known as Elebenla, said the attackers struck over the weekend, storming their residence while the male members of the household were away at the mosque.
According to him, the gunmen fired sporadically before abducting five female family members and fleeing the area. Although security agencies—including the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun operatives, and other responders—arrived promptly, the assailants reportedly altered their usual escape routes and disappeared into the community.
Okanlawon said the kidnappers contacted the family once to demand ₦100 million but have since gone silent. He appealed to the government and security agencies for urgent intervention to secure the release of the victims.
The twin incidents underscore Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, as armed groups increasingly target places of worship and homes, placing growing pressure on communities and authorities alike.
