Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Security operatives in Nigeria have reportedly identified the location of the abducted worshippers from the Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, offering the most concrete update yet in a crisis that has gripped the region and drawn national attention. According to state and community sources, those kidnapped during coordinated attacks on churches are being moved through bush paths in the dense forests that span Southern Kaduna, and aerial reconnaissance has pinpointed their general vicinity, a source directly involved in the operation told journalists. This development comes amid intensified search and rescue efforts involving military, police, and intelligence units.
The attack occurred on Sunday, January 18, when heavily armed gunmen stormed several places of worship during morning services, abducting scores of Christian congregants. Initially, 177 people were reported taken, but after several escape, 166 individuals, including women and children, remain in captivity. Community leaders say the captives were seen trekking between Ungwan Gamu and Maro communities in rugged terrain, their precise destination still unknown.
Local elders have expressed grave concern for the welfare and safety of those held, as the dense forests in the area provide concealment for armed groups and complicate rescue operations. The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, has repeatedly called on security agencies to intensify surveillance and tactical responses to track the abductors and bring the captives home safely.
The abduction has sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria and drawn criticism of government responses to insecurity in rural communities. Families and local stakeholders described anguish and frustration as efforts prolong with no definitive timeline for the hostages’ return.
In recent public statements, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a prominent socio-political advocacy group representing interests in northern Nigeria, addressed one of the more contentious proposals circulating in some circles: the suggestion of offering amnesty or negotiated leniency for bandits in return for hostage releases or broader peace. ACF leaders have unequivocally rejected any notion of granting amnesty or similar leniency to armed bandits or terrorists, insisting that concepts like amnesty are not viable options in responding to violent criminal networks responsible for mass kidnappings and rural terror. The organisation has clarified that it has not endorsed any policy of amnesty, and stressed that calls for such approaches are being misrepresented or taken out of context when attributed to its leadership.
This stance reflects a broader public debate within Nigeria over how best to tackle entrenched banditry. Critics of amnesty argue that leniency or negotiated pardons could embolden criminal groups, undermine the rule of law and incentivise further kidnappings, extortion and violence. Instead, they advocate for strengthened security operations, community policing, improved intelligence capabilities, and socioeconomic interventions aimed at addressing the conditions that allow bandit networks to thrive.
The bandits behind the Kurmin Wali abduction have so far set unusual terms for negotiations. Prior to the latest movements, the captors communicated through intermediaries demanding that 17 motorcycles they claim were lost during recent military actions be returned or compensated before they would begin formal ransom talks. Community leaders described this as a precondition separate from any ransom for the hostages, complicating efforts to open substantive negotiations for their release.
The military, police, and state government have maintained that they are working collaboratively to secure the freedom of the abductees. In separate statements, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State assured the public that all possible measures are being taken in coordination with relevant security agencies to rescue the captives and reunite them with their families, emphasizing that the government’s priority remains the safety and wellbeing of affected communities.
Security analysts note that the terrain and limited infrastructure in Southern Kaduna’s rural belt — a mix of thick forests and isolated villages — has long provided operational advantages to armed groups involved in kidnapping, banditry, and other forms of rural terror. These networks have exploited gaps in state presence and infrastructure to establish bases and launch attacks on soft targets such as places of worship, farmlands, and travelling civilians.
Religious bodies, civil society groups and community associations have continued to exert pressure on federal and state authorities to adopt more proactive strategies for forestalling such attacks, rescuing abductees, and protecting vulnerable populations. Some advocates argue for the deployment of additional specialist forces, expanded community intelligence frameworks, and concerted development initiatives that address root causes of insecurity.
For families and residents of Kurmin Wali and neighbouring communities, the identification of the abductees’ location offers a glimmer of hope amid a harrowing ordeal. But with no confirmed timeline for a rescue operation and continuing dangers posed by armed groups in the dense forest corridors of Southern Kaduna, the situation remains fraught with uncertainty, deeply affecting the lives of those directly impacted and reverberating across Nigeria’s ongoing discourse on insecurity and state capacity.
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