Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Wednesday marked a grim milestone for 37 worshippers abducted during Easter Sunday services in Kaduna State's Ariko community, as they entered their 101st day in the hands of bandits, with families and community leaders accusing the Federal and Kaduna State governments of abandoning the victims to their fate while kidnappers continue to demand an impossible ransom. The victims, most of them women and children, were kidnapped on April 5, 2026, when armed bandits on motorcycles stormed three churches—St. Augustine Catholic Church, ECWA, and Baptist Church—in Ariko village, Kachia Local Government Area, killing five worshippers and injuring several others before whisking away 37 people into the bush. Among those taken were elderly blind men and sick residents who could barely stand.
A journalist from the community, Reuben Buhari, has provided a harrowing account of the conditions the captives are enduring, describing a nightmare of neglect and suffering that has stretched far beyond the limits of human endurance. "For 100 days, they have worn the same clothes they had on when they were taken. They sleep on bare dirt. When it rains, they get drenched. When the sun comes out, it bakes them dry again," Buhari said. "Many have not bathed in weeks. Their heads are crawling with lice. Their skin is covered in bites from insects they cannot swat away. Some have gone days at a stretch with nothing to eat. A few have fallen seriously ill. And they have watched things, terrible things, that no person should ever have to witness".
The Kuturmi Unity Development Association, which speaks for the affected communities, has been at the forefront of the campaign to draw national attention to the plight of the captives. In a statement marking the 100-day milestone, KUDA President J. D. Ariko alleged that families of the victims have received little to no support from authorities while the kidnappers continue to demand an astronomical ransom. The bandits have demanded N1 billion and 35 motorcycles for the release of the 37 worshippers, a sum the impoverished community has repeatedly declared it cannot raise. "We cannot afford the ransom, honestly speaking. We want the government to go and rescue our people. That is all," Ariko said.
What cuts deepest for the families, according to community leaders, is the deafening silence from those in power. "The Kuturmi Unity Development Association, which speaks for the affected communities, has accused both the federal and state authorities of doing next to nothing. They say there has been no serious rescue effort, no coordinated operation, no sense of urgency," the association stated. KUDA had previously raised the alarm at 70 days, lamenting that families "have been left to suffer in silence, with little evidence of a coordinated and determined effort by government authorities to secure their release". Now, more than a month later, the situation remains unchanged.
The abduction of the 37 worshippers occurred during a wave of Easter Sunday attacks that targeted Christian communities across Nigeria. In Ariko, bandits invaded the community in the early hours of Easter, attacking two Christian worship centres, killing several worshippers and abducting scores of others into the bush. A survivor of the attack later recounted how the terrorists fired machine guns and stole church offerings during the assault. The slain worshippers were given a mass burial days after the attack.
The abduction of the 37 worshippers is not an isolated incident. KUDA has disclosed that persistent attacks and insecurity have displaced more than 100 communities across Kuturmi land and surrounding areas, forcing thousands of residents from their ancestral homes. The association also revealed that 11 residents kidnapped during an attack on the Awon community have remained in captivity for over 50 days. Despite repeated appeals by affected communities, attacks have continued while many victims remain without sufficient support. Many displaced families are battling hunger and disease, children have dropped out of school, pregnant women lack access to healthcare, and elderly persons are dying under harsh conditions.
Sources in the community also told SaharaReporters that residents have become reluctant to speak publicly about the plight of the captives, alleging that those who raise the issue are often branded enemies and face intimidation instead of receiving support. The abductees remain in captivity more than three months after the attack, with their families continuing to call on the government to intensify efforts to secure their release.
The abduction of the 37 worshippers occurred against the backdrop of a deteriorating security situation in Kaduna State. In January 2026, suspected bandits abducted about 163 worshippers during a church service in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. In that incident, 177 people were initially abducted, though 11 later escaped. The repeated mass abductions of worshippers have raised serious questions about the government's ability to protect citizens, particularly Christians in the Middle Belt, where radical Islamist terrorists and armed insurgent militias have carried out systematic raids on farming communities.
The Kaduna State Government and security agencies have yet to issue a formal statement on the 100-day milestone or provide an update on efforts to secure the release of the captives. The silence from authorities stands in stark contrast to the desperation of the families, who have been waiting for more than three months for any sign that their loved ones will be brought home. The Kuturmi Unity Development Association has called on the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government, Kachia Local Government Council and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the immediate release of all abducted persons and strengthen security in vulnerable communities. The association also demanded emergency humanitarian assistance for displaced persons and official recognition of displaced communities currently residing in informal settlements.
KUDA further urged the government to commence construction of the approved Forward Operating Base at Maraba Barga Junction in Awon, which it said would improve security response and enhance protection for residents. "Our people are not second-class citizens. They deserve the same protection, concern and dignity accorded to citizens in other parts of the country," the association said. As the 37 worshippers enter their 101st day in captivity, the question remains: how many more milestones must pass before the government acts? For the families waiting back home, each passing day is a fresh wound, a reminder that their loved ones remain in the hands of kidnappers, sleeping on dirt, wearing the same clothes, and waiting for a rescue that may never come.
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