Dozens of worshippers kidnapped by armed men from three churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kaduna State have returned home weeks after their abduction, Nigerian police confirmed, in a development that brings both relief and lingering anxiety to affected communities. At least 80 of the 177 worshippers originally reported missing have made it back to their families, police said, though 86 are still believed to be in captivity as efforts continue to secure their release.
Kaduna State police spokesman Mansur Hassan told Reuters that the returned worshippers had actually escaped on the same day they were taken but hid in neighbouring villages for nearly two weeks “due to fear of being captured again” before feeling safe enough to make contact. Once identified, they were invited to the Kaduna State Police Headquarters for identity verification, screening and health checks, Hassan said.
The attack on the three churches in the remote Kajuru Local Government Area including services at Evangelical and Cherubim and Seraphim congregations occurred on January 18 and initially sparked confusion and conflicting reports. Local residents and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported that 177 worshippers were seized, with 11 escaping shortly after the attack.
Authorities initially denied that a mass abduction had occurred, with Kaduna police and local officials saying there was no evidence of an attack. Those denials drew sharp criticism from human rights groups and local leaders who insisted the kidnappings did take place, deepening mistrust between residents and security agencies.
The Christian Association of Nigeria’s Kaduna state chairman said he had no information confirming the return of worshippers, maintaining that those originally reported missing were still unaccounted for except for the small group who had escaped early and were receiving medical care.
The Kurmin Wali abductions are part of a broader wave of kidnappings for ransom across northern and central Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target villages, schools, churches and travellers. These groups, often referred to locally as “bandits,” operate in areas with thin security presence, taking advantage of forests and difficult terrain.
Nigeria has seen several high‑profile mass abductions in recent years. In November 2025, more than 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, before being released in groups as families or authorities negotiated for their freedom.
Aside from school and church kidnappings, countless individual abductions have occurred in Nigeria’s northwest and Middle Belt regions, contributing to a climate of fear and insecurity that affects everyday life and economic activity. Experts say kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative criminal enterprise in parts of the country, particularly where effective law enforcement is limited.
Many of the armed groups involved are not formally aligned with known extremist movements, but the Islamist insurgency in the northeast — led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continues to compound insecurity. These jihadist factions have carried out large‑scale attacks in northeastern states for over a decade.
Nigeria’s security challenges extend beyond insurgency and kidnapping. Frequent clashes between herders and farmers in the central regions have resulted in casualties and displacement, while separatist violence in the southeast has erupted in cycles linked to political grievances and economic marginalization.
Human rights organizations have criticized the initial denial of the Kaduna kidnappings, arguing that reluctance to acknowledge incidents undermines public confidence and hampers effective response. Amnesty International and others have urged Nigerian authorities to take “immediate and concrete measures” to prevent rampant abductions that they say are becoming “the norm” in parts of the country.
Corruption, underfunded police forces, poor intelligence sharing, and limited resources for security agencies are frequently cited by analysts as factors that impede coordinated responses to kidnappings and other violent crime. These institutional weaknesses, they say, make it difficult to track armed group movements, negotiate releases, and secure remote areas effectively.
The international community has taken notice of Nigeria’s security situation. In December, the United States carried out airstrikes in north‑western Nigeria targeting camps associated with Islamist militants, and former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of further action if attacks on Christians continued a claim the Nigerian government has contested, saying people of all faiths suffer from the broader insecurity.
Nigeria’s remarkable diversity with more than 250 ethnic groups and a religious landscape roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and largely Christian south, alongside mixed central regions means that violence has wide social and political implications. Authorities maintain that victims of kidnappings and attacks come from all communities, even as debates continue about motives and patterns.
For families in Kurmin Wali and beyond, the human impact of abductions is profound: children missing from school, parents anxiously awaiting word of loved ones, and communities grappling with trauma and economic loss. Local leaders have appealed for renewed government and security force efforts to secure the remaining hostages and prevent future attacks.