…Orders Tactical Units, Search-and-Rescue Operations in Kajuru
… Why Kaduna Govt, State Police Command Lied
By Abu Adamu
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed that scores of worshippers, which have now been numbered as 177 persons, were abducted by armed bandits on Sunday in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, contradicting earlier denials by the Kaduna State Government and the Commissioner of Police in the state.
In a statement issued Tuesday by the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the Nigeria Police Force acknowledged that the mass abduction did occur, admitting that initial official responses created confusion after state authorities and police officials publicly questioned and sought to downplay the incident.
The confirmation comes barely 24 hours after Kaduna State officials and the state Police Command dismissed reports of the abduction, describing them as false and unverified, even as community sources and church leaders insisted that worshippers were seized from three churches during Sunday service.
According to the police statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the incident took place in the remote Kurmin Wali area, where bandits reportedly stormed the community and abducted church members, triggering widespread fear and outrage.
The police disclosed that following the incident, the Kaduna State Security Council was convened by the governor, during which some individuals from the affected area disputed the abduction reports — a development that influenced the initial public posture of the state government and the police.
The statement, however, effectively walked back those earlier positions, confirming that operational and intelligence verification has now established that the abduction indeed occurred, prompting the activation of full-scale security operations.
“The Inspector-General of Police has directed the full deployment of critical operational and intelligence assets to Kajuru and surrounding communities,” the Force said, adding that tactical units, intensified patrols, and search-and-rescue operations have been launched to secure the release of the victims and restore calm.
While the police attempted to explain that comments earlier made by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, were meant to “prevent unnecessary panic,” the confirmation by the IGP has reinforced criticism that authorities prematurely dismissed credible reports, thereby undermining public trust and delaying clarity on a major security incident.
As earlier reported by KTH Daily, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and local sources had maintained that scores of worshippers were abducted from churches in Kajuru on Sunday, insisting that official denials did not reflect realities on the ground.
Following full disclosure, the Police Force has appealed to the public and the media to rely on official updates while rescue operations continue, promising to provide further information as developments unfold.
The incident has once again raised serious questions about transparency, accountability, and crisis communication by security agencies and state governments in the face of recurring mass abductions in many parts of the country, mainly the North.
On Monday, Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, had emphatically dismissed the reports of a mass abduction in Kajuru as outrightly false, describing them as fabrications by what he termed “conflict entrepreneurs” seeking to disrupt peace in the state.
Rabiu challenged those making the claims to produce the names and details of any alleged victims, saying: “The story is a mere falsehood. Anyone who claims that people were kidnapped should come forward with names and particulars,” and warned that purveyors of false information would be dealt with according to the law.
Strangely, the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Mr. Dauda Madaki, corroborated the police position, claiming that security agencies swiftly moved to Kurmin Wali following the reports “but found no evidence of any attack.”
“When I heard the rumour, I mobilised the police and other security forces to Kurmin Wali. We visited the church where the so-called kidnap was said to have occurred and found no trace of any incident,” Madaki said.
He further claimed that the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and the community’s youth leader, Bernard Bona, both confirmed to him that no such attack took place. Madaki said repeated demands for a list of the alleged abducted persons had yielded nothing.
“I have asked those making the claim to provide a list of the kidnapped persons. Till now, no one has come forward with a single name,” the council chairman said, alleging that the rumour was sponsored by individuals uncomfortable with the prevailing peace in Kajuru.
Speaking for the Kaduna State Government, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Sule Shuaibu (SAN), doubled down on the false statements, saying that investigations, including engagements with CAN leadership and other religious stakeholders, showed that the reports circulating in the public space were unfounded.
“What was circulated was completely false,” Shuaibu claimed.