Reports of a mass abduction of Christian worshippers in Nigeria’s Kaduna State were disputed by local authorities following earlier claims of a large-scale kidnap.
Up to early morning today, media outlets worldwide reported that dozens of worshippers had been abducted from churches in Kaduna. However, later statements from police and local officials have cast doubt on whether the incident occurred at all.
According to a report from Reuters, gunmen attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali, a forest community in Afogo ward, at around 11:25 a.m. on Sunday. The report mentioned that armed men with “sophisticated weapons” stormed the churches, forcing worshippers into nearby bushes. Security forces were deployed to the area, and efforts were said to be underway to track the attackers and rescue those abducted.
Reuters reported that according to the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, Reverend John Hayab, 172 worshippers were kidnapped, with nine later escaping.
“Information came to me from the elders of the churches that one hundred and seventy-two worshippers were abducted while nine escaped,” Hayab said.
The BBC, citing AFP, quoted Hayab describing the attack in detail. “The attackers came in numbers and blocked the entrance of the churches and forced the worshippers out into the bush.”
However, the narrative shifted today when Kaduna State police and officials dismissed the reports as false. Local media outlets, including Channels Television, Vanguard, and Tribune Online, quoted the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, as denying that any mass kidnapping had taken place in Kajuru Local Government Area, where the alleged incident was reported.
Speaking to media, Rabiu described the reports as “a falsehood being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs seeking to create chaos in the state.” He challenged anyone making the claims to provide the names and details of the alleged victims.
He also warned those spreading unverified information to desist, saying the law would be enforced against what he described as “merchants of falsehood.”
The Chairman of Kajuru Local Government, Dauda Madaki, supported the police position, saying local authorities found no evidence of an attack.
“We visited the church where the so-called kidnap took place. There was no evidence of any attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he confirmed that no such attack occurred.”
The disputed reports come amid ongoing security challenges in Nigeria. Previous reporting by Reuters shows that the country has faced repeated kidnappings for ransom, particularly in northern and central regions. Armed gangs, known locally as “bandits,” frequently attack communities, abduct civilians, and retreat into forest areas.
Experts say corruption, weak intelligence sharing, and underfunded policing have slowed efforts to address the crisis. Nigeria’s defence minister resigned last month, officially citing health reasons, amid a surge in kidnappings.
Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups and is broadly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with mixed populations in central regions. The government has said that people of all faiths have been victims of violence.
As authorities deny the incident and church leaders maintain their claims, uncertainty remains over what exactly happened in Kaduna on Sunday.
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