After Days of Denial, Police Admit Kidnap of 177 Christians in Kaduna Church Attacks

 After Days of Denial, Police Admit Kidnap of 177 Christians in Kaduna Church Attacks
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the abduction of 177 Christians during coordinated attacks on churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, reversing earlier denials that sparked outrage across the country.

The attacks happened on Sunday, January 18, 2026, while worshippers were in church — a sacred moment violently shattered. Armed men stormed three churches simultaneously: Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Cherubim and Seraphim Church and A Catholic Church.
Men, women, and children were dragged away into the forests as gunshots rang out.

Community leaders and eyewitnesses immediately raised the alarm. Lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo disclosed that 177 people were taken, with 11 later escaping, leaving 168 still in captivity. The village head, Ishaku Dan’azumi Sarkin, himself an escapee, spoke with pain and certainty:
“I escaped from the bandits. We all saw it happen. Anyone who says it didn’t happen is lying.”

However, for two agonizing days, the Kaduna State Police Command publicly dismissed the reports as ‘falsehood’, accusing unnamed “conflict entrepreneurs” of spreading misinformation. Families of the abducted watched helplessly as their trauma was denied, their voices ignored.
In a fresh development, in a statement released on January 20, 2026, Force Public Relations Officer CSP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the kidnappings, admitting that conflicting accounts during a Kaduna State Security Council meeting led to uncertainty and delayed confirmation.
The admission has reopened deep wounds — and raised disturbing questions.