Conflicting reports have emerged regarding a mass abduction of worshippers during Sunday services in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. While a major political party and a state lawmaker have condemned and confirmed the incident, local authorities and police have vehemently dismissed the claims as false.

Initial accounts reported that gunmen launched coordinated attacks on three churches in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru LGA, abducting an estimated over 100 worshippers. The assailants, described as heavily armed bandits, reportedly struck simultaneously at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), a Catholic church, and the Seraphim and Cherubim Church, taking congregants captive. Some reports indicated that as many as 163 worshippers were abducted. Usman Danlami Stingo, a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, confirmed the incident to TheCable, stating that heavily armed bandits abducted men, women, and children. He added that nine victims reportedly managed to escape while being taken to the bush, and the community was conducting a headcount to determine the exact number of people still in captivity. These reports contextualize broader security challenges, with past bandit attacks and abductions occurring in Kaduna, including the kidnapping of a priest in November 2025 and multiple residents a month prior.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swiftly condemned the alleged abduction, with its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, expressing sympathy to the victims' families. The PDP characterized the incident as a "sad reminder of the normalisation of insecurity" under President Bola Tinubu's administration, criticizing the government's perceived failure to protect the constitutional right to freedom of worship. The party urged the APC-led federal government to initiate "comprehensive rescue operations" for the kidnapped citizens, advising against repeating past errors, such as the Niger school kidnapping, where "media optics prevailed over identity protection." Ememobong also criticized the federal government for allegedly spending taxpayers' money on "international image laundering campaigns" instead of addressing Nigeria's worsening insecurity. The PDP suggested that the operationalization of state policing could have potentially prevented criminals from acting with such impunity and taking such a large number of people captive.

Conversely, Kaduna State police authorities and local government officials have categorically dismissed the abduction reports, labeling them as "falsehoods" disseminated by "conflict entrepreneurs" aiming to destabilize the state's peace. Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, publicly challenged anyone possessing evidence to provide names and particulars of the alleged kidnapped victims, warning of severe legal repercussions for rumour mongers. Following a State Security Council meeting, Rabiu asserted that investigations revealed no evidence of an attack or abduction in Kurmin Wali.

Dauda Madaki, the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government, corroborated the police's position. He stated that upon hearing the rumours, he mobilized security forces to the Kurmin Wali community but found no evidence of any attack. Madaki reported personally visiting the alleged church site and consulting the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and youth leader, Bernard Bona, both of whom denied any such incident and confirmed this to accompanying journalists. Madaki further challenged anyone to produce a list of alleged victims, noting that no such information had been forthcoming despite his public call. He attributed the propagation of these rumours to individuals unhappy with the improved security situation in Kajuru under the current administration. Sule Shuaibu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, reinforced these denials, stating that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chairman and other religious leaders had engaged with community members in the affected area and confirmed that the reports were "completely false." Shuaibu reiterated the Kaduna State Government's "zero tolerance for criminality" and urged residents to maintain calm, continue their lawful activities, and report any suspicious movements or rumour spreaders to security agencies.

The contrasting narratives surrounding this incident underscore the complex security landscape in Kaduna State and the broader implications for public trust and governance. The severity of the abduction allegations stands in stark opposition to the unequivocal denials by state and local authorities, demanding further clarity.