Armed Fulani militiamen stormed three Christian churches during Sunday services in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, abducting up to 168 worshippers.
Story Snapshot
- Gunmen attacked three churches simultaneously in Kurmin Wali village on January 18, 2026, marching 160-168 Christian worshippers toward a forest “torture camp” at gunpoint.
- Kaduna police deny evidence of the attack despite eyewitness accounts, verified hostage lists from Christian leaders, and confirmation from multiple elected officials.
- A retired Army intelligence officer identifies kidnapping as both “business and religious obligation” for Fulani terrorists funding jihad against Christians.
- The attack marks an alarming escalation from targeted killings to mass abductions for ransom, with security forces blocking Christian advocacy groups from investigation sites.
Coordinated Sunday Morning Attack on Multiple Churches
Armed militants stormed ECWA Church and two Cherubim and Seraphim churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area, around 10:00 AM on January 18, 2026. Eyewitnesses report attackers dressed in black robes and turbans or army camouflage ordered congregants to lie on the ground before forcing them at gunpoint toward Rijana forests. Seven elderly and disabled captives were released that afternoon, and five managed to escape during the forced march, leaving approximately 160-168 Christians in captivity. Hon. Danlami Usman Stingo, representing Kajuru in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, called it “the biggest mass kidnapping of farmers and worshippers” in the region’s troubled history.
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Police Denial Contradicts Multiple Verified Sources
Kaduna Police Commissioner Muhammad Rabiu maintains there is “no evidence of attack” at investigation sites, despite hostage lists circulated by the Christian Association of Nigeria and verification from multiple lawmakers. Rev. Joseph Hayab, CAN’s Kaduna head, confirmed 163 captives remain held after reviewing documentation from affected families. Police have deployed troops for rescue operations while simultaneously blocking Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria from accessing attack sites. The contradiction between official denials and documented evidence from clergy, elected representatives, and eyewitnesses raises serious questions about government transparency.
Kidnapping Evolution Funds Jihad Operations
Col. Dauda Gora, a retired Army intelligence officer, identifies the mass abduction as both financial enterprise and ideological warfare. Fulani ethnic militias have shifted tactics from outright killings to lucrative kidnappings, using ransom payments to fund ongoing jihad operations against Christians and non-Fodio Muslims across Nigeria’s volatile Northwest-Middle Belt border region. Kajuru has become “infested with kidnappers” according to local lawmakers, with attackers allegedly including former local Fulani residents who fled after 2011 post-election violence. The targeting of Christian worshippers during services represents a calculated escalation designed to terrorize communities and extract maximum financial gain.
Regional Crisis Exposes Security Failures
Kaduna State straddles Nigeria’s Muslim Northwest and Christian Middle Belt, creating a volatile frontier where ethnic and religious tensions have intensified since 2012. The January 18 attack follows a post-New Year wave that killed dozens of residents, part of an escalating pattern affecting both Christians and Muslims. Previous mass abductions targeted schoolchildren and farmers, but the coordinated strike on multiple churches during worship services marks unprecedented boldness. Security analyst Prof. Musa notes the tactical shift reflects evolving banditry that combines financial motives with religious persecution. More than 160 Christian families in Kurmin Wali face devastating uncertainty while their loved ones remain captive.
The coordinated nature of this attack, combined with official denials that contradict documented evidence, reveals systemic problems in Nigeria’s security apparatus. When government authorities dismiss verified accounts from clergy, lawmakers, and eyewitnesses while blocking investigation access, they enable terrorists to operate with impunity. As rescue operations continue amid police stonewalling, the 160-plus captives endure conditions at what locals describe as a forest “torture camp,” their families desperate for honest acknowledgment and effective action from authorities who seem more concerned with controlling narratives than saving lives.
Sources:
160 Abducted Worshippers Heading to Rijana Torture Camp in Kaduna State – Truth Nigeria
Nigeria: Clergy kidnapping continues – Open Doors USA
Kidnapping in Nigeria – Wikipedia
167 Christians Abducted During Worship in Nigeria After Dozens Killed Since New Year – BRNow
