The identities of the 177 worshippers abducted from the ECWA Church and the Cherubim and Seraphim 1 and 2 churches in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru County, Kaduna State, have been released. This underscores the scale of the weekend attack and its devastating impact on the community.
The victims were abducted on Sunday during a church service when armed assailants stormed the premises, opened fire indiscriminately, and forced worshippers to flee into the surrounding forests. Entire families were reportedly taken, traumatizing the community and leaving it largely deserted. Many survivors sought refuge in nearby villages.
Security sources confirmed that the attack occurred around 11:25 a.m. A police situation report confirmed the subsequent mobilization of security forces. Access to the community was delayed due to poor road conditions, as Kurmin Wali is located in a remote, forested area. An investigation has been launched, and the search is on for the victims and those responsible.
Analysis of the victims’ identities revealed that entire families were abducted, with some losing between five and thirteen members. The oldest known victim is 71 years old, and several children, some as young as six, were also taken. According to community sources, elderly women and children were later released, while others managed to escape in the ensuing chaos.
This abduction occurred just one week after the same community reportedly paid ransoms for the release of residents abducted in a previous incident. This heightened fears of further attacks in the region.
The incident sparked outrage among human rights organizations and religious leaders, who accused security forces of not responding quickly enough. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the northern states criticized what it considered a delayed response, arguing that a swift pursuit of the perpetrators could have prevented their escape and the resulting high number of victims.
The attack also sparked international concern, and the Nigerian government was urged to intensify its efforts to rescue the kidnapped worshippers and improve security in vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, security officials in Kaduna State assured the public that the investigation was ongoing, while the victims’ families continued to call for urgent action to secure the safe release of their loved ones.
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