Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Eighty worshippers who escaped abduction during a violent bandit attack on Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State have returned to their homes after spending about two weeks seeking refuge in neighbouring villages, community leaders have confirmed. The development comes amid ongoing tension and calls for intensified security action to secure the release of those still in captivity.
The community’s village head, Ishaku Dan’azumi, said on Sunday that although initial reports suggested that 177 worshippers had been abducted during the armed assault — which occurred on a Sunday night when gunmen stormed churches in Kurmin Wali — 80 individuals managed to escape and sought shelter in nearby communities. They have now returned home, though many remain traumatised by the ordeal.
Dan’azumi confirmed that 86 worshippers remain in captivity, held by bandits in forest hideouts, and community members have appealed to the government and military to expedite efforts to secure their safe return. “We have observed that some people are trying to politicise our situation even as families are going through serious trauma,” he said, urging authorities to intensify rescue operations.
A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to protocol, linked the return of the displaced worshippers to sustained security operations targeting bandit hideouts across the Kajuru area and adjoining forest corridors. However, details remain sketchy about exactly how the escapees managed to flee their captors.
The attack on Kurmin Wali was part of a broader pattern of insecurity in Southern Kaduna, where bandits have repeatedly targeted villages, abducted residents and disrupted daily life. Churches in the community were reportedly invaded during services, with armed men forcing congregants at gunpoint into forests.
Christian leaders in Southern Kaduna have expressed deep concern over the situation, calling on the government, security agencies and local communities to strengthen protection for places of worship and to accelerate efforts to secure the release of abductees. At a recent prayer summit in Kafanchan, the Chairman of the Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association stressed that it had been almost two weeks since the abduction and that no breakthrough had yet been reported in releasing the remaining captives. He warned that rural communities are struggling to meet ransom demands and urged coordinated action to prevent further trauma and loss.
The kidnapping has had a profound emotional and psychological impact on families, with parents, spouses and relatives of the captives expressing anxiety and frustration over the delay in rescue efforts. Many of those abducted include children, women and elderly worshippers who were attending church services at the time of the attack. The Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders have also emphasised the need to protect sacred places of worship and called for sustained collaboration between security forces and local vigilante groups to improve community safety.
Amid renewed fears, residents reported that the fragile calm in Kajuru LGA was recently shattered by another bandit assault in neighbouring communities, where gunmen abducted additional villagers and killed some residents, exacerbating the sense of insecurity in the region.
Families of the abducted remain hopeful that the combination of military patrols, intelligence gathering and community cooperation will eventually lead to the safe return of all captives. In the meantime, returned escapees are receiving support from relatives and neighbours as they adjust to life back in the community, even as fears of further incursions persist.
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