Kaduna Church abduction: 80 worshippers escape from bandits’ den, 86 still in captivity – Kurmin Wali village head

.As HURIWA slams FG for failing to rescue victims for over 2 weeks

.Condemns Sunday attacks on a church, community in Niger

.Troops kill Boko Haram top commander Abu Khalid, 10 others in Borno

 

IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja and  AHMED MARI , Kano with agency reports

 

Not less than 80 worshippers who escaped abduction during a bandit attack on the Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have returned to their homes after spending about two weeks taking refuge in neighbouring villages.

The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, confirmed the development in an interview on Sunday.

Dan’azumi said that although about 177 worshippers were initially believed to have been abducted during the attack, 80 were later confirmed to have escaped and sought safety in nearby communities.

He, however, disclosed that 86 worshippers are still being held captive by the bandits.

“We have observed that some people are trying to politicise our situation even as families are going through serious trauma.

“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,” Dan’azumi said.

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.

It was gathered that details surrounding how the 80 worshippers escaped, as well as the exact circumstances of those still in captivity, remain sketchy.

The development came amid renewed violence in the area, as bandits on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Maikori community in Maro Ward of Kajuru Local Government Area, killing three residents.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity for security reasons, identified the victims 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 worshippers are said to be living in anxiety but remain hopeful of their safe return following intensified military operations in the area.

When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the police will release a comprehensive report regarding the return of the worshippers.

“The Police is going to come out with a comprehensive report surrounding the Kurmin Wali abduction,” Mansir said.

Gunmen had attacked three churches in the Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State community and whisked away more than 100 worshippers.

The list of the abductees which was released by Sebastine Barde, president of the Adara Development Association (ADA), an umbrella body for Adara Ethnic Nationality in Kajuru and Kachia LGAs of Kaduna state showed repeated surnames, indicating that entire households were abducted together.

Some families especially hit hard include the Amos family, which has 13 members in captivity, the Jonathan family with 12, at least nine members of the Markus family, and six from the Markudi family.

The oldest on the list is 71-year-old Augustina Matthew, while the youngest is five-year-old Salvation Idris.

Incidentally, Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has described as disappointing and unfortunate, the failure of the Federal and state governments to rescue the 177 worshippers violently abducted in Kaduna since over three weeks by terrorists.

HURIWA stated that the inability of the Nigerian State through the President to keep to the constitutional obligation to protect the lives and property of the citizens which the Supreme law listed out as the primary duty of government, is reminiscent of a failed state.

HURIWA recalled that three churches in Kaduna state were viciously attacked and 177 worshippers kidnapped on Sunday 18th January.

The Rights group blamed the Kaduna state government for reportedly reaching a truce with terrorists, for the continuous attacks especially in the Christian communities of Southern Kaduna.

HURIWA wondered whether the huge money allegedly paid to the terrorists for the so-called peace agreement have finished to necessitate the renewed bombardments by terrorists of mainly Christian communities to kidnap citizens in expectation of another huge payments.

Immediate past Governor of Kaduna state Mallam Nassir El-rufai had alleged that N1 billion was paid out to terrorists who accepted to end their attacks of communities in the state.

But the Kaduna state government denied the allegation.

Senator Shehu Sani a former Federal lawmaker also debunked the allegation made by erstwhile governor El-rufai.

Specifically, speaking about the attacks targeting the three churches in Kaduna, Yunana Adauji, a secretary of the church network attacked and who managed to escape his captors, informed the media as follows:

“The incident took place around 9:30am while we were having Sunday morning worship.

The terrorists came in their numbers with guns and gathered worshippers together in one place.

They threatened to shoot anyone who tried to escape.

“The victims kidnapped were forced into the bush, including children, women and men, as well as sick people who ought to be at home recuperating after surgery.

We don’t know the condition of our people who were kidnapped. We need your prayers and help to see an end to these attacks.”

HURIWA lamented that initially, the local government and police denied that the event had taken place – a BBC article on the attack cites police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu describing the news as ‘mere falsehood’.

However, the local community documented the names of those who had been taken by extremists and shared them with a local journalist.

The Rights group therefore expressed shock several weeks after the Commissioner of police in Kaduna state misled the World and clearly played a cover up of the news of the kidnapping of 177 Christian worshippers, the top police chief has not faced any administrative sanctions for the misdemeanor.

HURIWA has asked the Police Service Commission to sanction the Kaduna state police commissioner for attempting to mislead the world on the incident where there was a violent abduction by terrorists of 177 Christians from their churches.

HURIWA has therefore called on the military and police authorities to upgrade and intensify the search for the 177 kidnapped worshippers and ensure that the terrorists are arrested, prosecuted and punished sternly for their vicious crimes against the Nigerian citizens.

“The chief of Defence Staff and the chief of Army Staff together with both the IGP and the DG of DSS, must partner swiftly to ensure that these 177 kidnapped Christians are rescued safely and also arrest and bring the terrorists to swift justice.

Nigerians want a country in which the lives of citizens are sacrosanct and invisible.

These incessant bloody attacks by terrorists are absolutely despicable and reprehensible.

Those who ought to prevent and end the frequent killings must be made to implement workable strategies for ending these attacks.

Relatedly, the Rights group condemned the invasion by terrorists that burnt down the Divisional Police Station in Agwara town, headquarters of Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, raiding a church and kidnapping at least five people in the community on Sunday February 1st 2026.

HURIWA described the continuous bombardments of communities in Niger state as shameful on the part of the security forces given that they are expected to have enforced effective mechanisms for preventing these killings and attacks by terrorists.

HURIWA citing media report, stated that the attackers that invaded the Niger state community, reportedly arrived around 4am and engaged the police officers in a gun battle just as they eventually set the police station on fire, and reportedly moved to the UMC Church and some parts of the community, abducting no fewer than five people.

The terrorists also burnt a section of the Church, according to media report. HURIWA said the success recorded by the terrorists is a reminder of the stark reality of the expanding frontiers of undefended and ungoverned spaces in Nigeria just as HURIWA wondered why the Niger State governor hasn’t set up and equipped civilian armed vigilantes in his state to partner with established national security forces to wage war on terrorists.

“We condemn these incessant terrorist attacks on Nigerians and especially we denounce the systematic targeting of Christians and the destruction of their churches just as we call on the Federal Government to act swiftly to put an end to these attacks that have led to the killings of thousands of Nigerians in these needless and bloody manner.

Meanwhile the Police Command in Niger, has confirmed that suspected bandits set ablaze a Police Station and part of a church in Agwara community in the early hours of Sunday.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed this in a statement in Minna on Sunday.

Abiodun said that the attack occurred about 3:40 a.m., when the bandits invaded the Agwara Police Station.

He said that the police tactical team on duty engaged the attackers, adding that the bandits later overpowered the officers and used suspected dynamite to set the station on fire.

According to him, the assailants subsequently moved to the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the community, where they burnt part of the church building.

The police spokesperson also said that the bandits later proceeded to other areas of the community and abducted about five persons, whose identities had yet to be ascertained.

“The situation is being monitored, and further developments will be communicated in due course,” he said.

He assured the people that security agencies had commenced investigations and intensified efforts to track the perpetrators and rescue the abducted victims.

Meanwhile, the troops of Nigerian Military deployed to the Northeast Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have again killed a Boko Haram Commander Abu Khalid and 10 others in a night operation.

They also recovered arms , ammunition and other logistics of the terrorists.

The theater Command, in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesman, Lt Col Sani Uba said “Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have recorded another significant operational success with the neutralisation of a top Boko Haram/ISWAP leader Abu Khalid.

Abiodun Khalid is identified as the Second-in-Command of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest, alongside 10 other terrorists during a night operation in Borno State.”

“Barely 24 hours after troops eliminated the notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP commander, Julaibib, operating within the Gujba axis of the Timbuktu Triangle, troops of Sector 1, in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) on Operation DESERT SANITY, made contact with terrorists at the Komala general area of Konduga Local Government Area during night offensives at about 11:00 p.m.

Abu Khalid was a key figure within the terrorist hierarchy, coordinating operations and logistics in the Sambisa axis.”, the statement said.

The military said “Following the successful engagement, troops recovered five (5) AK-47 rifles, magazines, several bicycles, assorted logistics and food items, as well as huge medical consumables.”

“No casualty was recorded among the troops during the operation.

Troops’ morale remains high as clearance operations continue across the Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains, Timbuktu Triangle and other known hideouts of Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North East region.”, the theater Command added.

The military therefore, reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the tempo of operations until all terrorist elements are neutralised , lasting peace and economic stability are restored to the region.

The Military High Command also commended the troops for their sacrifice and dedication in the fight against terrorism and other criminal activities in the North East region, urging them to sustain the operational tempo.