Eighty worshippers abducted during a church service at Kurmin Wali in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have escaped from their captors and reunited with their families.
The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed this on Sunday, saying the escapees fled from the bandits’ camp and took refuge in neighbouring communities before returning home.
Dan’azumi explained that although about 177 worshippers were initially believed to have been kidnapped during the attack on three churches, 80 have now been confirmed safe after escaping from captivity.
He, however, said 86 worshippers are still being held in the forest by the bandits, with families anxiously awaiting their return.
“We have observed that some people are trying to politicise our situation, even as families are going through serious trauma,” the village head said.
He appealed to the government and the military to urgently intensify rescue efforts to secure the safe release of those still in captivity.
“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 added.
The Nation recalled that conflicting accounts followed the January 18 attack, which had triggered denials and counter-claims from officials, religious leaders, and community members.
While the Kaduna State Police Command and the Kajuru Local Government Council initially dismissed reports of a mass abduction as falsehood, community leaders and church officials insisted that scores of worshippers were taken during services.
The controversy deepened when a list of 177 alleged abductees, said to have been compiled by families and church leaders, surfaced following a public challenge by the Police Commissioner for concrete details.
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, had earlier confirmed that over 160 worshippers were abducted from churches in the area during Sunday worship.
Residents maintained that gunmen stormed three churches: Catholic, ECWA and Cherubim and Seraphim, shut the gates, and marched congregants into the surrounding bush.
Days after the incident, the village head revealed that the bandits demanded N250 million and 20 motorcycles as ransom, a demand he described as far beyond the reach of the rural community.
He lamented that Kurmin Wali and neighbouring villages have long lived under the shadow of repeated bandit attacks, kidnappings, and displacement.
Amid the tension and confusion, Governor Uba Sani visited Kurmin Wali to sympathize with residents and reassure them of government support.
The governor, accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu; Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu (SAN); Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Dauda Madaki, and other senior officials, met with families and community leaders.
Addressing residents, Governor Sani said he was in the community to personally commiserate with them over the attack and to assure them that the state would not abandon the victims or their families.
“In Kaduna State, every life matters. We are here to assure the people of Kurmin Wali that the government is collaborating with all security agencies to ensure that those abducted return home safely,” he said.
He also disclosed that some residents sustained injuries during the incident and promised that the state government would bear the cost of medical treatment for all affected persons.
When contacted on the latest development, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the police would soon issue a comprehensive report on the Kurmin Wali incident.
