Kaduna: Police Finally Admit Bandits Seized Dozens of Christians in Mass Kidnapping, Details Emerge
- Nigeria Police confirmed armed bandits kidnapped many Christians in Kaduna State on January 18
- Initial police denial of attacks was later contradicted by confirmation and coordinated security operations
- International attention drawn to the church attacks highlights ongoing security challenges in Nigeria
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.
Kurmin Wali, Kaduna State - The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has finally admitted that armed bandits kidnapped many Christians in simultaneous targeted attacks on a number of churches in Kaduna State on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the national spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), confirmed the incident in a statement posted on the NPF’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle late Tuesday night, January 20, and seen by Legit.ng.
Source: Facebook
The attack, which has attracted international attention, occurred on Sunday, January 18, in Kurmin Wali, a community in the Kajuru area, while church services were underway.
Multiple media reports put the number of abducted victims at up to 177. A report by international media Sky News said more than 150 Christians were seized.
The abduction was confirmed by the police 24 hours after they initially denied it had taken place.
Recall in a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, January 19, Kaduna state police commissioner Muhammad Rabiu described the information as "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos". Rabiu challenged "anyone to list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars".
In the same vein, the chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA), Dauda Madaki, said security forces were sent to Kurmin Wali after reports of an attack, but found "no evidence of the attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack."
Police also quoted the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs as saying religious leaders visited the area.
He reportedly said, according to the BBC:
''They found out that what was pushed out to the public sphere was completely false."
NPF confirm mass church kidnappings
Part of the police statement released on X on Tuesday, January 20, reads:
"In this context, comments made by the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, during a media interaction were intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed.
"Those remarks, which have since been widely misinterpreted, were not a denial of the incident but a measured response pending confirmation of details from the field, including the identities and number of those affected.
"Subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources has confirmed that the incident did occur.
"The Nigeria Police Force therefore activated coordinated security operations, working closely with other security agencies, with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area."
Source: Facebook
Nigeria attacks stir international outcry
Attacks on churches in Africa's most populous nation have ignited claims of religious persecution by Donald Trump and others, although the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government says the security crisis is not a "Christian genocide."
Nonetheless, on Christmas Day in 2025, US strikes rained down in Sokoto State, a Muslim-majority city in the north of the country, allegedly targeting an Islamic State group in what Trump called a "Christmas present".
Source: Legit.ng
