Kaduna Police Reverses Stance, Confirms Churchgoers Abdûcted from Three Churches

The Nigeria Police Force has acknowledged that worshippers were abducted during an attack on three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, retracting an earlier denial of the incident.

The admission came in a statement issued Tuesday night by Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, following public criticism of the initial dismissal. Police stated that the revised position followed further verification from operational units and intelligence sources.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSW-N) had earlier reported that terrorists carried out the attack while Sunday services were in progress. In a statement by its spokesperson, Reuben Buhari, CSW-N identified the affected churches as the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim 1, and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim 2.

Earlier, both the Kaduna State government and the police had contested the reports and challenged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to provide evidence. On Monday, after a security meeting, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police Muhammad Rabiu dismissed the reports as “falsehood,” while the Kajuru Local Government Chairperson, Dauda Madaki, also denied an attack occurred.

In its latest statement, police explained that conflicting accounts from individuals in the area initially caused uncertainty, necessitating additional verification. Authorities clarified that earlier remarks were intended to prevent panic while investigations were underway and did not constitute an outright denial of the abduction.

The incident is said to have prompted Governor Uba Sani to convene a meeting of the Kaduna State Security Council. Police added that operations are ongoing to rescue the victims and restore normalcy.

According to the statement, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of extra tactical and intelligence resources, including increased patrols and focused search-and-rescue efforts.

The police also urged the public and media to depend on official updates to avoid spreading fear or hindering ongoing security operations.