Police Reverse Stance on Kajuru Church Abductions, Confirm Kidnap of 163 Worshippers After Initial Denial
Barely a day after playing down reports of a mass abduction involving church worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the Nigeria Police Force has made a public reversal, acknowledging that an abduction incident did, in fact, occur.
The alarm was first raised by the Northern leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which alerted the public to coordinated attacks on two Cherubim and Seraphim churches in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru LGA.
CAN reported that armed men, believed to be terrorists, stormed Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1 and Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2, carting away no fewer than 163 worshippers during the assault.
That account was initially dismissed by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, who publicly suggested that the figures being circulated were exaggerated and driven by what he described as conflict entrepreneurs intent on stoking fear and instability in the state.
However, in a significant turnaround, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Wednesday that an abduction incident did take place in Kurmin Wali. PulseNets learnt that the clarification followed fresh intelligence assessments and internal security briefings.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the earlier contradiction, Hundeyin said the police response was shaped by conflicting information received at the highest level of state security coordination.
“The Nigeria Police Force recognises the serious concern generated by reports of an abduction in Kurmin Wali, a remote settlement in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. We are fully aware of the fear such reports trigger among families, residents, and the wider public, and we treat the safety of every citizen as a top priority,” he stated.
According to the FPRO, the Kaduna State Security Council was immediately convened by the state governor following the initial report. During that meeting at the Government House in Kaduna, some representatives from the affected local government reportedly challenged the accuracy of the information already confirmed by police operatives.
“At that meeting, individuals from the local government disputed the report, which had earlier been confirmed by the Police, and described it as untrue,” Hundeyin explained.
He noted that the conflicting claims created uncertainty, compelling the police and other security agencies to exercise restraint while verifying facts on the ground before issuing definitive public statements on such a sensitive security matter.
Addressing the controversial remarks credited to the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Hundeyin clarified that they were not intended as a denial of the incident but as a precautionary measure.
“The comments attributed to the Commissioner of Police were aimed at preventing unnecessary panic while factual details were still being confirmed. They were never a denial of the incident itself,” he said.
He added that the remarks were later misconstrued by sections of the public and media.
“Those statements were widely misinterpreted. They were a measured response pending confirmation of the identities of the victims and the actual number of persons affected,” the police spokesperson told PulseNets.
Hundeyin further confirmed that intelligence reports have now validated that the abduction occurred, adding that the police are working closely with other security agencies to trace the victims’ location and secure their safe rescue.
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Reaffirming the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, he disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the deployment of critical operational and intelligence assets to Kajuru and neighbouring communities to support rescue efforts and restore security.
He also urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and cooperative, cautioning against speculation or sensational reporting that could undermine ongoing operations or heighten public anxiety.
