The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) stated yesterday that the initial public denial of reports about the kidnapping of 170 worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, by the Nigeria Police, prior to any verification, was not only concerning but also caused confusion, increased fear, and unfairly questioned the credibility of eyewitnesses who raised the alarm.
Last Sunday, gunmen assaulted three local churches at the same time, kidnapping 170 worshippers while some managed to flee.
However, Muhammad Rabiu, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, stated late on Monday that after police examined the area, “there was no evidence of the attack.” “Ru-mours…sponsored by people who are not happy with the relative peace that Kajuru has been enjoying since the coming of this administration,” Rabiu said in response to reports of the incident.
After examining a later news release from the Nigeria Police verifying the kidnapping of the 170 worshippers, CAN issued a statement on Wednesday urging accountability and vigilance in security communications.
According to the group, it acknowledged the difficulties in confirming security incidents, particularly in rural areas. However, it stated that these difficulties should not be used as justifications for misleading the public, especially when there are risks to human life.
According to Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the Christian organization’s national president,
warned that public communication should not come out as contemptuous of the pain or anxieties of impacted residents in such serious circumstances.
“While it makes sense to prevent panic, caution must not be communicated in ways that suggest denial or indifference,” said CAN.
“Senior security officials’ statements carry a lot of weight, so they should be guided by due diligence, empathy, and a clear understanding of their impact on social stability and public trust.”
Okoh stated that CAN had taken notice of the following police confirmation of the incident while pleading for the abductees’ immediate and unconditional release. He praised Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police, for overseeing the movement of intelligence and operational resources to the impacted region.
“These steps are necessary and welcome,” says Okoh. Going forward, they must be paired with a more methodical, people-centered approach to crisis communication.
“We urge all security agencies and pertinent authorities to tighten verification procedures, increase coordination, and make sure that reliable community reports are given the attention they merit.
“Genuine distress calls must be respected, victims must be protected, and misinformation—whether sensational or dismissive—must be avoided.”
“As repeated incidents continue to endanger lives, disrupt worship, and erode public confidence, CAN also urges governments at all levels to confront the persistent insecurity across the country with renewed urgency,” the statement stated.
Sani Visits the Kurmin Wali Community and Promises to Make Sure Kidnap Victims Return Safely
Senator Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, promised that his administration will work with security services to guarantee the safe return of everyone kidnapped last Sunday during church services in the Kurmin Wali community.
During a visit to the neighborhood yesterday, Sani offered the promise and stated that he would not stop till the victims had safely returned home.
“To ensure the quick return and recovery of our people who were abducted in this very important community, we have been working with the relevant security agencies, including the military, the DSS, the police, and the Office of National Security Adviser,” the governor stated.
“It is the responsibility of the Kaduna State government to protect the lives and property of the people,” he declared, regardless of the number of kidnappings.
“We should not be talking about numbers or politics,” the governor cautioned, denouncing individuals he claimed had been milking the regrettable occurrence to gain political points.
“Here, we are discussing the sacredness of human life and dignity. For this reason, we will do whatever it takes, working with the security services, to guarantee our people’s prompt return to Kurmin Wali.
Sani pledged that anyone hurt during the incident will have their medical expenses covered by the state government.
Given the area’s closeness to the kidnapping hotspots, he continued, the state government would work with Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), Minister of Defense, to create a military post there.
Sani claimed that although robbers had found refuge in the bush, the military had managed to quell the unrest along the Kaduna-Abuja freeway.
He claimed that Kurmin Wali was situated near Rijana town, one of the nation’s banditry hotspots.
Additionally, he pledged that the road connecting the neighborhood to the highway will be built, stating that the Commissioner for Public Works would do the required evaluation before the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.
“We protect the lives of everyone, regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation,” Sani declared. In Kaduna State, we are all one. And I’m glad the residents of Kurmin Wali have a good understanding of that.
“For this reason, even those of us who are grieving and in mourning were welcomed with open arms when we entered.”
Chief Dauda Titus of the Agwam Kufana previously stated that he was in church on Sunday when he received a distress call informing him of the attack.
“We haven’t commented on the incident since Sunday because we don’t know how many people were abducted,” he stated. All we told was that there was an incident and that some persons were kidnapped.
Atiku Regrets Bandits’ Audacity
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, voiced alarm about the growing bravery of bandits, who struck without warning.
In response to the attack on the Kurmin Wali community, Atiku expressed concern that the same criminals were busy attacking communities and capturing hostages while certain states claimed victory in their peace agreements with bandits.
“It’s incredibly embarrassing to see non-state actors holding the country hostage and attacking people and taking hostages repeatedly unchallenged,” he said.
He claimed that when governors were pleading with robbers under the name of peace agreements, it was hard to achieve deterrence.
Although he was not opposed to talks to put a stop to the violence, the former vice president stated that he would not tolerate a situation in which bandits dictated peace agreements on their own terms.
He declared, “Those peace agreements have always deceived the government’s negotiators and always favor the bandits more than their victims.”
Atiku said that the government may act without waiting for bandits to start attacking.
“Nigerians are no longer impressed by the government’s strong language of condemnation,” he said. They care more about outcomes than rhetoric.
“History has demonstrated that the threat would have been eliminated long ago if rhetoric were sufficient to discourage the bandits.”
The leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emphasized that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, must be held responsible for fulfilling its own campaign pledges to eradicate insecurity in the nation.
“Excuses cannot console Nigerians,” he declared. The Tinubu administration must be held to the same standards since the APC, a previous opposition party, put the then-governing government to the highest and most brutal standards.
PDP: Police and Government Denial Shameful
The federal government’s inaction and the police’s initial categorical denial of the abduction of roughly 170 worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area were denounced by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who claimed that this was a dangerous pattern that had been repeated throughout the APC rule.
According to the PDP, this kind of attitude appears to be an intentional attempt to hide the truth from Nigerians and the normalization of insecurity.
“When news of this mass abduction first emerged, the Commissioner of Police Muhammad Rabiu did not just deny that it happened, he recklessly dismissed it as the work of mischief makers, peddled by ‘conflict entrepreneurs,'” PDP National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong said in a statement.
“He then had the audacity to demand details of victims,” the PDP spokesperson stated of the Kaduna State police commissioner. In a same vein, the chairman of the Kajuru local government denied that any kidnapping occurrence took place under his control.
These denials are extremely painful, not just because they are obviously untrue, but also because they show how carelessly this government handles important issues like security.
The people claim that the police were notified right away when the kidnapping took place, which makes the situation much more agonizing.
They had a chance to take action. Rather, they opted for denial, putting the government’s reputation ahead of the lives of 163 Nigerians.
Ememobong said, “Sadly, the Commissioner of Police and Chairman have been silent, without offering any apologies for their irresponsible conduct and failure to protect the people, since the police eventually accepted the reality of the sad incident, after the residents and the Christian Association of Nigeria provided the names of those kidnapped.”
“This act of public betrayal and unsuccessful cover-up is abhorrent and shameful.”
The PDP called for “an immediate public apology from the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area and the Commissioner of Police for their initial denial and failure to act.”
“That the federal government send out a highly skilled security team right away to track down, save, and safely return these abducted Nigerians to their homes and families.”
The party called on the administration to give up performative governance, which put appearances before content.
“Solving issues is the government’s job, not getting praise.” There are 163 families that are waiting. The PDP declared, “They deserve action, not excuses.”
NHRC denounces the murder of women and children in Kano
The horrific murder of Mrs. Fatima Abubakar and her six children in Kano State’s Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters was denounced by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which called it an assault on human dignity and a flagrant violation of the right to life.
According to reports, unidentified intruders stormed into the family’s home on Saturday, January 17, slaughtered the victims with lethal weapons, and allegedly dropped an infant down a well.
According to Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, the act was not only illegal but also a grave violation of Nigeria’s constitutional and international human rights commitments.
According to Ojukwu, the right to life is inalienable and ought to be upheld at all times, especially for vulnerable populations like women and children.
He emphasized that such activities endanger public safety and undermine the rule of law, expressing profound worry at the degree of brutality demonstrated in the incident.
He urged Nigeria Police and other pertinent security organizations to conduct a thorough and open investigation to make sure the guilty were found and brought to justice.
The relatives of the victims, the Dorayi Chiranchi village, and the people of Kano State received condolences from NHRC, which also assured them of the commission’s support throughout the time of grief.
In addition, the commission reiterated its dedication to advancing and defending human rights throughout the nation and said that it is prepared to collaborate with law enforcement to guarantee justice and responsibility in this matter.
Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd/Gte (SOJA), another human rights advocacy group, denounced the murders as well, calling them a serious breach of fundamental human rights and a failure of governmental protection.
Hameed Jimoh, the organization’s legal officer, said in a statement on Tuesday that the murder of a mother and her children had horrified the country and threatened the principles of justice, humanity, and the rule of law.
According to SOJA, the occurrence constituted a grave violation of both the norms of international human rights instruments to which Nigeria was a signatory and the right to life as provided by Section 33 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The group emphasized that the Nigerian government was clearly required by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to safeguard life and hold violators accountable.
Rev. Fr., Anambra Catholic Cleric. Nwankwo Describes the Gunmen Experience
Rev. Fr. is a Catholic priest who serves as Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. Lawrence Nwankwo described how he was held captive by gunmen.
Nwankwo recounted his trauma and, with God’s grace, survival at the Ekwulobia roundabout during an attack on July 9, 2025, which he characterized as a 44-minute encounter with shooters.
He told reporters that the event occurred between 7:30 and 8:14 in the morning while he was traveling from Ekwulobia to Awka, the state capital.
His Eminence Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving for the priest in his Igweakpu village, Ndiowu, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
He said that God saved him when the thugs threw him in the trunk of his car to be taken away.
“I was heading to Awka,” Nwankwo said. I stopped waiting for the traffic light to change from red to green. However, there were gunshots coming from all directions prior to this.
“I witnessed individuals firing as they approached the roundabout from the Nanka road. On the route to Isuofia, I noticed a woman laying on the roadside. I assumed that the bullet had struck her.
“And there were gunshots coming from the path to Oko, so I got out of the car and got back in because I had just driven away from Aguata’s direction and I wasn’t sure that running back would be safe.
“I was in the car, in the passenger’s side behind the driver’s seat, when the door was unlocked. One of them, wearing a hood and a wig, told me to get down, give them the car’s key, and go into the trunk.
That’s what I did. “We will go with this,” he declared after starting the car and applying the brakes.He left the driver’s door open and the engine running, most likely to make a quick getaway.
That’s where I found myself, completely powerless but acutely aware that I might be in a kidnapper’s den. The gunmen were firing nonstop. I occasionally heard requests for “another magazine!Perhaps by people who needed to replenish their weapons.
Abruptly, I heard someone yell, “Who is that coming?At that point, there was a change in the sound produced by the firearms in addition to an increase in the quantity and force of gunfire.
Additionally, I heard an order to “not shoot from behind!”I found out that the gunmen were driven out by the Joint Intervention Force after the ordeal.”
He claimed to have stayed in the trunk, remembering that even after a bullet hit his toe at 7:48 a.m., he was still taken aback by his composure and presence of mind.
“I was there waiting, not knowing whether, when, and where another bullet might strike, having committed myself into God’s hands,” he stated. Thank God I wasn’t hit by another bullet. I have no doubt that God came to my rescue.
The car was hit by nineteen bullets. In fact, it was methodically shot at to eliminate any possible threat rather than just being filled with bullets. Bullets even hit the spare tire beneath the trunk where I was lying.
“Bullets were all over the passenger seat where I hid before one of the gunmen told me to get to the trunk. It was evident that God used the gunman to bring me to a secure area of the car, and God continued to offer extra security even in the trunk.
In a coordinated operation, the army neutralizes terrorists and releases 62 hostages.
Two terrorists were successfully killed and sixty-two hostages were freed in coordinated operations in the states of Kebbi and Zamfara, according to the Nigerian Army’s Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Lieutenant-Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division Nigerian Army/Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, stated that the operations were carried out in close cooperation with local vigilantes and other security forces.
Two terrorists were killed and two of the insurgents’ motorcycles were recovered when troops in Kebbi State ambushed members of the Lakurawa Terrorist Group close to the boundary between Augie and Binji local government areas, according to an army statement.
The motorcycles were equipped with equipment for long-range mobility and padded with thick blankets, while the terrorists wore camouflage outfits.
Similarly, in Zamfara State, 62 kidnapped victims were freed as forces invaded Munhaye Forest, a reputed refuge of infamous bandit commander Kachalla Alti. The hostages have been placed in secure care, according to the army, and attempts are being made to reconcile them with their families.
Osoba stated in the release, “The operations highlight the unrelenting efforts of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and its partners to dismantle terrorist networks, restore security, and protect lives in the region.”
Twenty terrorists are killed by troops, and soldiers pay the ultimate price in a fierce battle.
In the Timbuktu Triangle of Borno State, troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) engaged rebel combatants in a tough and prolonged battle that resulted in the deaths of over 20 terrorists, according to the military.
A number of soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) lost their lives during the combat, according to the Joint Task Force, North East. Despite the operation’s notable successes, it was not without loss.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for Operation Hadin Kai, stated in a statement that forces had persisted in their forceful push into the Timbuktu Triangle, gradually weakening terrorist networks that were firmly established there.
He claimed that the most recent stage of operations concentrated on eliminating and controlling important terrorist strongholds, such as Tergejeri, Chiralia, and the general Ajigin/Abirma districts.
“Troops made sporadic contact with escaping terrorist elements as they advanced,” Uba stated. Many terrorists were neutralized as a result of the intense fire that followed these engagements.
He described how two Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) threatened troops on January 20 when they were gathering at a harbor region, roughly six kilometers north of Chilaria.
“One of the VBIEDs was effectively neutralized by alertness and quick action. Nevertheless, certain logistics stations were impacted by the second VBIED, which pierced the defensive posture, he claimed.
Uba continued, “Some brave soldiers and CJTF members paid the ultimate price during the attack, while others suffered varying degrees of injuries.”
According to him, Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters quickly transported the injured soldiers to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital so they could receive care.
According to Uba, Nigerian Air Force platforms from the Air Component, working in tandem with other Nigerian Army air assets, provided constant overwatch throughout the evacuation process to guarantee the security of ground troops, who continued to engage and neutralize terrorist elements, and the safe extraction of casualties.
Later, troops discovered mass graves including an estimated 20 terrorist bodies, further demonstrating the extent of the militants’ losses.
According to Uba, the bodies were those of people who had been murdered in earlier conflicts in the Timbuktu Triangle and buried by their escaping allies.
“This discovery further discredits the propaganda narratives often pushed by these groups and clearly exposes the extent of terrorist casualties,” he continued.
The military reported that soldier morale and combat effectiveness were good, and the security situation was largely stable throughout the Northeast theater.