On 18 January around 177 Christians were abducted from three churches in the village of Kurmin Wali in Kaduna state’s Kajuru Local Government Area, 135 km north of the capital, Abuja. Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSW-N) reports that 166 remain in captivity after eleven escaped.
Local sources said a large number of Fulani militiants had stormed the area on foot and on motorbikes at around 9 am on 18 January and divided into three groups to target two Cherubim and Seraphim churches (the Albarka branch is pictured) and the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) while worshippers attended Sunday services.
A local resident told CSW-N, “They gathered the people and forced them into the bush. Later, the elderly women and young children were released, while another eleven people escaped.” The BBC reported that “the remaining villagers have been left devastated and fear more attacks”, while Open Doors reported that many villagers from Kurmin Wali are sleeping in the bush for safety, fearing attacks by night, and that some are traumatised and are unable to eat because of anxiety about abducted family members.
Local church secretary Yunana Adauji, who escaped his attackers, said: “The terrorists came in their numbers with guns and gathered worshippers together in one place. They threatened to shoot anyone who tried to escape. The victims kidnapped were forced into the bush.”
Another escapee, named Maigirma Shekarau, who has family still in captivity, said: “After the terrorists took us from the church, we trekked for a long distance without food and water and those who couldn’t walk fast were flogged and brutalised by the terrorists. I have bad injuries on my head and others too are injured.” He escaped with his baby by hiding in an abandoned house until the area was clear and then fled to a nearby village.
Local ECWA secretary Joseph Bawa reported that Fulani militants raided the church as Sunday School was about to begin. “They burst into the church shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’” he said. “They warned us not to run or we would be killed.”
Authorities deny, then admit abductions occurred
The Kaduna state government initially denied that the abductions had occurred, and state government officials warned villagers against speaking to the press because publicity would “tarnish the image of the government and bring unnecessary attention”. Commissioner of Police Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu stated that the reports were “mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos in Kaduna State”.
On 20 January, however, police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin admitted that subsequent checks by operational units and intelligence sources had confirmed the abduction and said that security forces had been fully deployed to the area and search-and-rescue operations were under way. He said the earlier statement was “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.”
Security forces prevented journalists from entering the village citing “clearance operations” in the area, and CSW reported that a team from CSW-N attempted to visit Kurmin Wali to verify the report but was refused entry by the military, who told them there was a standing order not to allow them in. The BBC reported initial difficulties reaching the village after a politician and security personnel attempted to block access, going on to add, “But we managed to get through and once inside, we found a scene of chaos in the building of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. Colourful plastic chairs were on their sides, prayer books scattered on the floor and musical instruments broken.”
CSW has reported the abductions of many other Christians in the general area this month alone and notes that “the repeated abductions have caused several communities around Kurmin Wali to abandon their homes and move to safer areas”. Since the Kurmin Wali abductions more Christians have been abducted from various parts of Kaduna state, including Kajuru Local Government Area.
CSW-N issues press statement
On 26 January, CSW-N issued a press statement urging haste in the rescue efforts and expressing concern that one week on from the Kurmin Wali abductions “166 individuals are still being held captive. More worrying is that children as young as five, women, and some elderly men are forced to sleep in the cold, exposed to the elements, hungry, and in danger.”
CSW-N, which visited the community on 25 January, commended the Kaduna State government for providing medical care to the eleven Christians who escaped and for mobilising construction equipment to begin repairing the road to the community and providing security. However, it added that “the continued captivity of the victims, while their relatives continue to live in fear and apprehension, calls for urgent action to rescue them.”
CEO of CSW-N Rev Yunusa Sabo Nmadu stated, “Rescuing them as quickly as possible will help address the trust issue that was dented by the initial denial of the kidnapping.” He also pleaded for the rescue of other victims kidnapped from different communities in the state.
(Barnabas Aid, BBC, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Morning Star News, Open Doors, Sahara Reporters)
Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide