Rev Caleb Maa’ji, leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna state, has confirmed that all 166 Christian hostages from the village of Kurmin Wali have been freed. The Christians were kidnapped by Fulani militants from three churches in the village (pictured) on Sunday 18 January.

Nigerian news website Daily Trust quoted an unnamed local community leader saying that they were released in the early hours of Thursday 5 February.  He said, “Between about 11 pm and midnight, we were informed that large vehicles entered the forest. Later, between 1 am and 2 am, they came out with the abducted people… We do not know who went to take them or who released them. We are also not certain whether all of them were freed, but their release has been confirmed.”

However, the release of all the hostages was later confirmed by the Kaduna state government and by Rev Caleb Maa’ji who Reuters reported had just returned from the government house in Kaduna, where the governor was set to receive the Christians. “The stage is set for them to be brought … His Excellency will meet with ​them. This is a result of ‌the prayers we have offered,” he said.

Television pictures from TVC News (Nigeria) showed the released hostages – men, women and children – dressed in yellow clothing arriving at the government house in a fleet of four buses. They include nursing mothers, young children and elderly people. Some were seen limping, while others broke down in tears. Kaduna state governor Uba Sani was later pictured with the released hostages.

Details around how the releases came about  remain unclear. CAN’s  northern branch chairman, Rev John Hayab, said all those abducted have returned home safely, without paying ransom.

The hostages had been held captive since Sunday 18 January, when a large number of Fulani militiants stormed the area on foot and on motorbikes and divided into three groups to target two Cherubim and Seraphim churches and the Evangelical Church Winning All church while worshippers attended Sunday services.

An eyewitness of the attack 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.”

(Al Jazeera, BBC News Hausa, Daily Trust, Leadership, Reuters, TVC News)