KADUNA, Nigeria, Jan 19 – Armed bandits abducted dozens of worshippers from two churches in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, police said, while a senior church leader put the number of those taken at more than 160.
Kaduna state police said gunmen armed with sophisticated weapons attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali, a forest community in Afogo ward, at about 11.25am on Sunday. Officers said they were still working to confirm how many people were abducted.
A police spokesperson said the area is remote and difficult to reach because of poor road conditions, making it difficult to obtain reliable information in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, Reverend John Hayab, told Reuters that 172 worshippers were kidnapped and nine later escaped, leaving 163 still in captivity. “Information came to me from the elders of the churches that one hundred and seventy-two worshippers were abducted while nine escaped,” Hayab said.
Authorities noted that figures following mass kidnappings in Nigeria often vary, with security agencies issuing cautious early numbers while community and religious leaders sometimes report higher tallies. A similar pattern was seen during a previous abduction at a Catholic school in Kaduna state.
Police said troops and other security agencies have been deployed to the area and that efforts are under way to track the abductors and rescue the captives.
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