Abductors of worshippers from Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded the return of 17 motorcycles allegedly lost during recent military operations as a condition for the release of their captives.
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The bandits, who seized 177 worshippers during coordinated attacks on three churches on Sunday, January 18, 2026, have not demanded any monetary ransom but insist the motorcycles must be returned with damaged parts replaced before the victims can regain their freedom.
Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Mr. Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Wednesday, revealing that the bandits contacted a negotiator acting on behalf of the community.
“They called the negotiator on the telephone and said that 17 of their motorcycles disappeared. They insisted that all the motorcycles must be returned and damaged parts replaced before they can release our people,” the village head said.
Dan’azumi added that the armed men accused members of the community of stealing the motorcycles and tampering with others by removing carburettors and spark plugs.
The Adara Development Association (ADA), in a statement signed by its President, Chief Sebastine A. Barde, confirmed that while 177 persons were initially abducted, 11 later escaped, leaving 166 persons still in captivity.
According to the breakdown released by the association, 50 worshippers were abducted from Cherubim and Seraphim Church I, 92 from Cherubim and Seraphim Church II, and 24 from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA).
The coordinated abductions occurred at about 10 a.m. on Sunday when armed men attacked multiple Christian congregations in Afogo Ward. Worshippers at the two Cherubim and Seraphim churches were surrounded and taken during ongoing services, while ECWA members were seized as they returned home from worship.
The mass abduction has been linked to ongoing military offensives against bandit camps in parts of Kajuru and neighbouring Kauru Local Government Areas.
Sources confirmed that the attackers were bandits fleeing sustained military operations who carried out the abduction while attempting to escape mounting pressure from security forces.
The affected camps, located around Gabachua, Legede and the Agwalla mountain and forest corridors, were described as long-established enclaves used by bandits to launch kidnappings, cattle rustling and violent attacks across Kauru, Kajuru and adjoining communities.
While recent offensives have led to the destruction of several bandit camps and the neutralisation of suspected criminals, security analysts warned that dislodged fighters often resort to attacking soft targets while attempting to evade capture.
The Adara Development Association has demanded that Muhammad Rabiu, Commissioner of Police, and Dauda Madaki, Chairman of Kajuru Local Government, apologise to the people for what it described as “deliberate suppression of facts.”
At a press conference at the Government House in Kaduna on Monday, the duo had dismissed reports about the church abduction as “mere falsehoods being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs” and challenged those making the claims to produce the names of the victims.
However, the police made a U-turn on Tuesday night when Benjamin Hundeyin, Force Public Relations Officer, confirmed the abduction in a statement, adding that Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police, had deployed tactical units and intensified patrols to rescue the victims.
Barde accused the police commissioner and the council chairman of deliberately misleading the public despite receiving information from residents of the affected community.
“Rather than acknowledge the gravity of the situation, both the commissioner of police and the local government chairman publicly dismissed the incident, describing verified reports as rumours allegedly propagated by so-called conflict entrepreneurs,” Barde said.
He added that ADA had responded to their challenge by submitting a comprehensive list of abducted persons, with survivors of the attack and relatives of those taken available to substantiate its claims.
“It is particularly disturbing that the council chairman, an indigene of Afogo ward, would align himself with attempts to cover up the truth of such a grave tragedy affecting his own people,” Barde stated.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Wednesday led a large delegation of senior government officials and heads of security agencies to commiserate with the people of Kurmin Wali, promising that his administration will ensure the safe return of all abducted persons.
“In the last two days, we have been collaborating with the relevant security agencies, both the military, the DSS, the police, and the Office of National Security Adviser, to ensure the quick return and recovery of our people that were abducted in this very important community,” the governor said.
Governor Sani reiterated that the number of those kidnapped did not matter, adding that whether it was one person or 100, it remained the responsibility of the Kaduna State government to protect lives and property.
He condemned those using the incident to score political points, stating: “We should not be talking about numbers or politics. We are talking about the sanctity of human life and dignity here.”
The governor announced several interventions for the community, including:
- Liaising with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), to station a military base in the community given its proximity to kidnapping black spots
- Construction of the road linking the community to the highway
- Building a Primary Healthcare Centre at Kurmin Wali
- Payment of medical bills for those who sustained injuries during the attack
Governor Sani noted that while the military has contained insecurity along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway, bandits have found safer havens in the hinterland, with Kurmin Wali being close to Rijana town, one of the epicentres of banditry in the country.
Agwam Kufana, Chief Dauda Titus, who was in church when he received a distress call about the attack, pleaded with the government to construct the access road from the highway to Kurmin Wali, noting that what should have been a ten-minute trip took 30 minutes.
National President of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Samuel Tabara Kato, commended Governor Sani for the visit, describing him as the first governor to visit the community.
“Even in the face of conflicting information, you have initiated action for the rescue of those people who are abducted,” Kato said, assuring the governor of the people’s support.
Residents and community leaders have urged the Federal and Kaduna State governments to sustain military pressure, deploy additional troops and strengthen intelligence gathering to protect vulnerable communities and ensure the safe rescue of the abducted worshippers.
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