Nigerian police deny reports of mass church abductions

A member of the clergy has said more than 160 people were seized during Sunday services

Police in Nigeria’s Kaduna State have denied reports that armed attackers abducted more than 160 worshippers from churches in the northwest of the region during Sunday services.

Kaduna State Police Commissioner Muhammad Rabiu described the reports on Monday as a “falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos.” He said security forces investigated the claims but found no evidence of an attack.

Dauda Madaki, chairman of the Kajuru Local Government Area where the alleged incident was reported, also dismissed the claims. “When he heard the rumor of the attack, we mobilized the police and other security forces to the area, Kurmin Wali, but found out that there was no attack,” he added.

However, a member of the clergy has said that armed gunmen attacked churches in the area and seized dozens of worshippers. Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the north of the country, told local media that attackers struck two churches.

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“The figures what I got from the area is that 172 were said to have been abducted and nine managed to escape, with the remaining 163 people still with the abductors,” Hayab said.

According to several reports, gunmen armed struck two churches in the forest community of Kurmin Wali in Afogo ward at about 11:25am, forcing worshippers into the bush. A local outlet, Vanguard, reported that three churches were targeted, with attackers firing shots to frighten residents.

Nigeria has experienced repeated mass kidnappings in recent months, with armed gangs often taking large groups of people, especially from remote villages, schools, and places of worship. Despite a 2022 law banning ransom payments, kidnappers continue to demand payment for the release of their victims.

On January 3, armed groups raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger State, reportedly killing at least 30 people and abducting an unspecified number.

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In November, gunmen abducted more than 300 children and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, one of the largest school kidnappings in years.