Abductors of 177 worshippers from Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded the return of 17 motorcycles allegedly lost during recent military operations as a condition for the victims’ release.
The worshippers were seized on Sunday morning during coordinated attacks on three churches in the community.
Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Mr. Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed this in a telephone interview yesterday, that the bandits contacted a negotiator acting on behalf of the community and insisted that the missing motorcycles must be returned before the captives could regain their freedom.
According to Dan’azumi, the abducted worshippers were taken from Seraphim and Cherubim Church 1 and 2 as well as ECWA Church.
He said the armed men accused members of the Kurmin Wali community of stealing the motorcycles and tampering with others by removing carburettors and spark plugs.
“They called the negotiator on the telephone and said that 17 of their motorcycles disappeared. They insisted that all the motorcycles must be returned and damaged parts replaced before they can release our people,” the village head said.
Dan’azumi added that the bandits had not demanded any monetary ransom so far.
“Apart from the issue of the motorcycles and replacement of some parts, they have not asked for money.”
He further revealed that the mass abduction was linked to ongoing military offensives against bandit camps in parts of Kajuru Local Government Area.
The abduction of the 177 victims, most of whom are Christian worshippers, has sparked outrage and fear across communities in Southern Kaduna.
Other sources confirmed that the attack was carried out by bandits fleeing sustained military operations in parts of neighbouring Kauru Local Government Area.
According to the sources, troops recently dislodged armed groups from key hideouts, forcing them to abandon their camps and scatter into nearby areas, including Kajuru.
“The assailants were forced out of their camps during intense military offensives and allegedly carried out the mass abduction while attempting to escape mounting pressure from security forces,” one of the sources said.
The affected camps, located around Gabachua, Legede and the Agwalla mountain and forest corridors, were described as long-established enclaves used by bandits to launch kidnappings, cattle rustling and violent attacks across Kauru, Kajuru and adjoining communities.
While recent offensives have led to the destruction of several bandit camps and the neutralisation of suspected criminals, security analysts warned that dislodged fighters often resort to attacking soft targets while attempting to evade capture.
Residents and community leaders in the affected LGAs have urged the Federal and Kaduna State governments to sustain military pressure, deploy additional troops and strengthen intelligence gathering to protect vulnerable communities and ensure the safe rescue of the abducted worshippers.
As shock and trauma continue to ripple through Kurmin Wali village, Afogo ward in Kajuru Local Government Area, the Adara Development Association (ADA) has asked Muhammad Rabiu, commissioner of police and Dauda Madaki, chairman of Kajuru council, to apologise to the people over their “deliberate suppression of facts.”
At a press conference at the Government House in Kaduna on Monday, the duo had dismissed reports about church abduction in the community as “mere falsehoods being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs” and challenged those making the claims to produce the names of the victims.
But the police made a U-turn on Tuesday night when Benjamin Hundeyin, force public relations officer, confirmed the abduction in a statement, adding that Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police, had deployed tactical units and intensified patrols to rescue the victims.
In a statement issued yesterday, Sebastine Barde, president of ADA, accused the police commissioner and the council chairman of deliberately misleading the public despite receiving information from residents of the affected community.