Nigeria’s police have acknowledged that armed men abducted villagers in Kaduna State over the weekend, reversing earlier public statements that dismissed reports of a mass kidnapping.

In a late Tuesday statement, national police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said security agencies had verified that an abduction took place on Sunday. He said operations were under way to locate and rescue those taken and to restore calm in the area. Hundeyin added that the initial denials were aimed at avoiding panic while officials confirmed the facts.

Authorities did not provide a confirmed number of people abducted. However, Usman Danlami Stingo, a Kaduna State lawmaker, told The Associated Press that 177 people were initially missing and that 11 later returned, leaving 168 unaccounted for as reported by Al Jazeera.

Separately, church leaders cited a slightly different toll. Reverend John Hayab, a leader within the Christian Association of Nigeria’s northern network, was quoted by international news agencies as saying at least 172 worshippers were kidnapped and that nine later escaped.

The raid was reported to have taken place as residents gathered for worship in multiple churches in Kurmin Wali, a community in Kaduna’s Kajuru area.

Kidnapping for ransom remains a major security threat across parts of northern and central Nigeria, with armed groups regularly targeting remote communities and transport routes. In late 2025, for example, more than 300 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s, a Catholic school in Niger State, in one of the country’s largest recent school kidnappings.

The crisis has also attracted international attention. Analysts and media reports say the United States carried out airstrikes in Sokoto State on December 25, 2025, which the U.S. described as targeting armed groups, amid heightened rhetoric from President Donald Trump about protecting Christians.

Source: Al Jazeera