The mass abduction occurred on Sunday, January 18, 2026, when gunmen launched coordinated attacks on multiple churches in Kurmin Wali during morning worship.
Bandits who abducted scores of Christian worshippers from Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded the payment of ₦28.9 million for 17 motorcycles they claim were lost during recent military operations before any ransom negotiations can begin for the captives.
The armed group, according to community leaders and family members, insists that each of the missing motorcycles is worth ₦1.7 million and that the total amount must be paid as a precondition before they will state how much ransom they want for the release of the abducted worshippers, according to The PUNCH.
The mass abduction occurred on Sunday, January 18, 2026, when gunmen launched coordinated attacks on multiple churches in Kurmin Wali during morning worship.
A total of 177 worshippers were initially taken away during the attacks, but 11 later escaped, leaving 166 people, including women and children, still in captivity.
The incident, which has plunged the southern Kaduna community into fear and uncertainty, is the second major attack on Kurmin Wali in less than two weeks.
Following the Sunday attack, panic spread across the community as reports of the abduction circulated widely.
However, on Monday, the Kaduna State Government, the Kaduna State Police Command and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area denied the report.
The denial sparked outrage among residents and church leaders, especially after the Chairman of the Northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, confirmed the abduction to journalists in Kaduna.
Residents say the initial denial by authorities worsened their trauma and left families feeling abandoned at a critical moment.
The PUNCH reports that the community had barely recovered from an earlier attack on January 11, 2026, when suspected armed Fulani militia abducted several residents from the same area.
A villager, Linus Abu, recounted that the victims of the January 11 attack were released only after the community paid ₦23 million as ransom.
“We paid N23 million as ransom before those kidnapped on January 11 were released,” Abu said. “The terrorists called us on the phone and gave instructions. Some of our people had to carry the money in sacks and take it to them inside the bush.”
According to Abu, unlike the earlier incident where a ransom demand was quickly made, the abductors of the January 18 victims have adopted a different approach.
He said they have not yet asked for ransom for the 166 people still with them. Instead, they are demanding that we pay for motorcycles they said they lost.
Abu explained that the bandits claimed 17 of their motorcycles went missing during recent military operations in the area and accused members of the Kurmin Wali community of stealing them.
“They said each bike is worth N1.7m, and we must pay for all of them before they will demand the actual ransom for the hostages,” he said.
This means the community would be required to raise about ₦28.9 million solely for the motorcycles, separate from whatever ransom the abductors may later demand for the captives.
The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, confirmed that the bandits contacted a negotiator acting on behalf of the community and insisted on the return or replacement of the motorcycles.
Dan’azumi said that the kidnappers called the negotiator on Wednesday through the phone and said that 17 of their motorcycles disappeared.
“They insisted that all the motorcycles must be returned before they will release our people,” he said.
According to the traditional ruler, the bandits also accused villagers of tampering with some of the motorcycles by removing carburetors and spark plugs.
“Apart from the issue of the motorcycles and replacement of some parts, they have not asked for money,” Dan’azumi stated.
He added that the mass abduction appeared to be linked to the ongoing military offensive against bandit camps in parts of Kajuru Local Government Area.
Fear has since gripped Kurmin Wali, forcing many residents to flee to neighbouring villages. Daily activities in the community have been paralysed as schools and farms have been abandoned.
“There is no going to school, no going to farm. Most of us have ran away. We cannot stay here anymore,” Hasan Emman, a farmer, said on Wednesday.
“Right now, everyone is unsettled. We don’t even know where to start. How can we negotiate (with the abductors) when we are all scattered and afraid?”
A visit to the community revealed locked shops and deserted streets, with the few residents who remained appearing anxious and reluctant to speak.
With no clear timeline for ransom negotiations and the unusual demand over motorcycles, the fate of the abducted worshippers remains uncertain.
Family members expressed frustration over what they described as government silence and inadequate security intervention.
“Our people are suffering in the forest, and the government is saying nothing happened,” one distraught resident said. “Who will help us?”
Survivors of the abduction said the coordinated attacks began at about 9am on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
According to witnesses, armed men wielding AK-47 rifles simultaneously invaded several churches in Kurmin Wali during worship services.
Survivors said the attackers moved with precision and confidence, warning worshippers not to flee as they rounded up people from different churches.
The Secretary of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kurmin Wali, Yunana Dauji, said gunmen surrounded two branches of the church and threatened to shoot anyone who attempted to escape.
“They forced worshippers to march from one church to another, gathering over 50 people from our denomination alone before leading everyone away,” Dauji said.
The Evangelical Church Winning All was also targeted. Its secretary, Joseph Bawa, said the gunmen stormed the church shouting and immediately began seizing worshippers.
“They gathered people from different churches and marched all of us together into the forest,” Bawa said.
Among those abducted during the attack was the village head, Ishaku Dan’azumi. His son, Linus Madami, confirmed that the traditional ruler later escaped along with 10 other captives.
“My father managed to escape, but his two wives and two children are still with the kidnappers,” Madami said.
“In total, 177 people were taken that morning. I narrowly escaped after struggling with one of the gunmen.”
Amid mounting criticism, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Wednesday visited Kurmin Wali under tight security.
The governor arrived in the community at about 3pm and left around 6pm, during which he commiserated with residents and assured them that the state government was committed to securing the release of the abducted worshippers.
The governor said he observed that some residents were injured and pledged that the state government would take responsibility for those affected.
Sani explained that security agencies needed time to properly assess the situation, adding that the Inspector-General of Police had issued a statement after investigations commenced.
“In the last two days, we have been working closely with the military, the Department of State Services, the police and the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure the quick recovery of our people,” he said.
He insisted that the government’s response was guided by concern for human life, not politics or statistics.