Survivors of the mass abduction of Christian worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have narrated chilling accounts of how heavily armed bandits stormed three churches during Sunday service, brutalised congregants and forced 166 people into the forest at gunpoint.
The attack, which occurred around 10am, targeted Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Churches I and II, as well as the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) church.
According to community sources, 177 worshippers were initially seized, but 11 later escaped, many with injuries, leaving 166 – including women, children, pregnant mothers and the elderly – in captivity.
Village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishiaku Deralazumi, one of those who narrowly escaped, said the gunmen surrounded the churches simultaneously, blocking exits and firing shots into the air to instil fear.
“If you tried to run, they pointed their guns at you and forced you back inside,” he told PLATFORM TIMES.
“They gathered us from the three churches and beat the men mercilessly. Women and children were crying. I thought it was the end for us.”
Deralazumi said he sustained serious injuries to his head and body before managing to flee with 10 others.
“They told us to produce 17 motorcycles before they would talk about releasing us. Eleven of us escaped, but 166 are still in their hands. Our hearts are broken.”
Another survivor, Abel Sambo, said he fled when the attackers stormed his church, only to later discover that his daughter had been taken.
“I was close to the door and ran towards the eastern part of the village,” he said.
“Later, I heard people screaming as they were being dragged into the bush. It was after I escaped that I realised my daughter was missing. Now she is with the kidnappers.”
For Amos Markus, another escapee, survival felt nothing short of miraculous. He said the attackers were masked, well-coordinated and ruthless.
“They scattered the church, collected our phones and money, and moved us to another church where people were already lying on the ground,” Markus said.
“Then they started taking people into the bush. How I escaped, I cannot explain – it is God.”
Residents said the attackers rode in on motorcycles and on foot, splitting into groups to strike the three churches simultaneously, a tactic that overwhelmed worshippers and left the community defenceless.
Community leaders said the trauma has plunged Kurmin Wali into grief, with families desperately searching for news of loved ones taken into the forest. Many of the abducted, they said, are women, children, breastfeeding mothers and the elderly.
President of the Adara Development Association, Chief Sebastine Barde, described the attack as part of a recurring pattern of violence in Southern Kaduna, warning that communities were being systematically terrorised and displaced.
Youth leader of the Middle Belt Forum in Kaduna State, Isaac Tanko, alleged that residents were discouraged from reporting attacks, adding that Kurmin Wali had suffered a similar raid a week earlier when 20 people were abducted and freed after ransom payments.
Chairman of the Northern Christian Elders Forum, Elder Sunday Oibe, said the abduction was “a rude shock” and urged Governor Uba Sani to ensure the immediate rescue of the victims.
Rights groups, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria and Amnesty International, condemned the attack and criticised initial official denials, warning that repeated mass kidnappings were impoverishing communities and deepening fear across the region.
The Nigeria Police Force later confirmed the incident, saying coordinated rescue operations had been launched, while the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to Kajuru and surrounding areas.
As of press time, survivors said the community remained in shock, with families clinging to prayers and hope for the safe return of their loved ones, even as fear hangs heavily over Kurmin Wali and neighbouring villages.
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