Gunmen stormed multiple churches during Sunday worship services in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna State, abducting more than 160 worshippers in coordinated attacks that have intensified fears over the country’s escalating kidnapping crisis and renewed debate over security failures in remote communities.
Church leaders, local officials and security sources offered varying figures, but all confirmed that the abductions ranked among the largest mass kidnappings from places of worship in recent months. The attacks unfolded in Kurmin Wali, a forested and hard-to-reach community in Kajuru district, an area long plagued by armed raids and weak state presence.
Reverend Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the country’s north, said armed men arrived in large numbers, sealed off church entrances and forced congregants into surrounding bushland.
“They came heavily armed, blocked the churches and drove the worshippers out,” Hayab said Monday. He said elders from the affected churches informed him that 172 people were initially taken, but nine later managed to escape, leaving 163 still in captivity.
Accounts from local leaders suggested the violence may have spanned more than two church locations. Ishaku Dan’azumi, a traditional chief in Kurmin Wali, said attackers struck three churches during Sunday services and seized about 166 people. A lawmaker representing the area in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Usman Danlami Stingo, told The Associated Press that 168 worshippers remained unaccounted for following what he described as three separate attacks.
Kaduna State police acknowledged the assaults but said officers were still working to verify the exact number of abducted victims. A police spokesperson said gunmen armed with what he described as “sophisticated weapons” carried out the raids at about 11:25 a.m. Sunday. The spokesperson said Kurmin Wali’s remoteness and poor road access were complicating efforts to gather immediate and reliable information.
Reuters quoted the police spokesperson as saying that troops and other security agencies had been deployed to the area and that search-and-rescue operations were underway to track the abductors and secure the release of the captives. German broadcaster DW also cited police confirmation of the attacks while noting uncertainty over the final figures.
Africanews, citing Agence France-Presse, reported that at least 163 Christian worshippers were kidnapped after gunmen stormed two churches in Kaduna State. The outlet quoted Reverend Hayab describing how worshippers were rounded up and taken into the surrounding forests.
Initial figures following mass kidnappings in Nigeria often vary sharply, a pattern security analysts attribute to confusion in the immediate aftermath, limited communications and the vast terrain involved. Police typically release conservative early estimates, while community leaders and religious organizations often rely on headcounts from families and congregations that may later be adjusted.
The Kaduna attacks come amid a broader surge in kidnappings-for-ransom across central and northern Nigeria, where armed gangs — commonly referred to as bandits — operate from forest enclaves, striking villages, highways, schools and religious centers.
In November, gunmen seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in neighboring Niger State, which borders Kaduna. Fifty escaped during the attack, while the remaining captives were released weeks later in two phases, following negotiations that authorities did not publicly detail.
A recent report by Nigeria-based consultancy SBM described kidnapping as having evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” estimating that armed groups generated about $1.66 million in ransom payments between June 2024 and July 2025. The report said proceeds from abductions are often used to purchase weapons, recruit fighters and exert control over rural communities.
While the attackers in Kurmin Wali targeted churches, security experts caution against framing the violence solely as a religious campaign. Kajuru district has been a recurring flashpoint for attacks tied to competition over land, grazing routes and dwindling natural resources, conflicts that frequently take on ethnic and religious overtones but are rooted in longstanding economic and governance failures.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with significant religious minorities in both regions. Experts note that armed gangs in the northwest have kidnapped Muslims and Christians alike, often selecting targets based on vulnerability rather than faith.
Still, the optics of mass abductions from churches have fueled international attention and political rhetoric. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly highlighted violence against Christians in Nigeria, while Nigerian authorities have rejected claims that the country is experiencing a “Christian genocide,” arguing that the security crisis affects all communities.
In December, the United States carried out airstrikes in northwestern Sokoto State against what U.S. and Nigerian officials described as militants linked to the Islamic State group, underscoring growing international concern about instability in the region.
Security analysts say the Kaduna church attacks underscore the persistent challenge facing Nigerian authorities: vast rural areas with limited policing, poor infrastructure and armed groups that can mobilize quickly and disappear into dense forests. The lack of mobile phone coverage in places like Kurmin Wali further delays emergency response and complicates coordination.
The psychological impact on communities is also profound. Places of worship have traditionally been seen as sanctuaries, and repeated attacks on churches, mosques and schools erode public confidence in the state’s ability to protect civilians. Religious leaders warn that such assaults risk deepening mistrust and fear, particularly if rescue efforts stall.
Despite repeated military operations and security initiatives, northwest Nigeria has seen no sustained decline in mass abductions. Analysts argue that without a coordinated strategy combining intelligence-driven security operations, judicial accountability, economic development and dialogue with affected communities, kidnapping will remain a lucrative and low-risk enterprise for armed groups.
For families of those taken in Kurmin Wali, the immediate concern remains the safe return of their loved ones. As negotiations and rescue efforts unfold, the attacks stand as another stark reminder of the human cost of Nigeria’s prolonged insecurity — and of the fragile line between everyday life and sudden violence in many rural communities.
Reuters/Africanews/DW
