No fewer than 80 worshippers who escaped abduction during a bandit attack on Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have returned home after spending about two weeks seeking refuge in neighbouring villages.
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The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, confirmed the development to PUNCH Online on Sunday, saying that while about 177 worshippers were initially believed to have been abducted, 80 later managed to flee and find safety.
Dan’azumi, however, disclosed that 86 worshippers are still being held by the bandits. “We have observed that some people are trying to politicise our situation even as families are going through serious trauma,” he said. “We are appealing to the government and the military to expedite action to secure the safe return of the remaining 86 people still in the bandits’ camp.”
A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the return of the displaced worshippers to sustained security operations targeting bandits’ hideouts across Kajuru and adjoining forest corridors.
Details surrounding how the 80 worshippers escaped, as well as the circumstances of those still in captivity, remain sketchy.
The development comes amid renewed violence in the area, as bandits on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Maikori community in Maro Ward of Kajuru, killing three residents identified as Hassan Agola, Lawal Samson, and Baba Apolo.
Residents recalled that Kurmin Wali was attacked on a Sunday night when armed men stormed the community during a worship session, abducting several worshippers and forcing others to flee their homes. Families of the abducted remain anxious but hopeful for their safe return following intensified military operations.
A community source told PUNCH Online that troops had stepped up patrols and offensive operations in recent days, allowing some displaced residents to cautiously return to their homes.
The latest killings in Maikori have heightened tension across Kajuru, with residents and community leaders calling for a stronger and more permanent security presence to prevent further attacks.
Efforts to reach Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Kajuru Local Government Area remains one of Kaduna State’s hotspots for banditry, with repeated attacks over the years resulting in loss of lives, displacement, and destruction of property.
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