Prosper Okoye
Conflicting accounts have emerged over reports that more than 100 worshippers were abducted during church services in Kaduna State on Sunday.
Security officials dismissed the allegations as false while some religious leaders maintain an incident occurred.
On Monday, Kaduna State police and local authorities rejected claims that worshippers were kidnapped in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe police described the reports as “falsehoods being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs seeking to create chaos in the state.”
Addressing reporters after a State Security Council meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna, the Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, challenged anyone circulating the claims to provide the names of alleged victims.
“We urge rumour mongers to desist from attempting to derail the prevailing peace in Kaduna State. The full wrath of the law will be visited on such merchants of falsehood,” he said.
Kajuru Local Government Chairman, Dauda Madaki, said security forces were deployed to investigate the reports but found no evidence of any attack.
“We visited the church where the so-called kidnap took place. There was no evidence of any attack,” he said, adding that the village head and youth leaders also confirmed no such event occurred.
Madaki criticised those propagating the story, saying no one had produced a list of kidnapped persons. He also encouraged residents to remain calm and report suspicious activity to authorities.
The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shauibu, said religious leaders who visited the area also verified that the circulating reports were untrue.
“They found out that what was circulated to the public was completely false,” he said, adding that the state government had “zero tolerance for criminality.”
However, separate accounts from religious sources and international news agencies suggest worshippers were taken during coordinated attacks on churches in the same area on Sunday, 18 January 2026.
According to a senior clergy member, at least 163 worshippers were abducted when attackers stormed services at two churches in Kurmin Wali, locking gates and forcing congregants into surrounding bushland.
Eight people later escaped, but the majority remained unaccounted for as of Monday evening.
An Associated Press report also quoted a local lawmaker saying more than 150 worshippers were abducted in simultaneous attacks on three churches while services were under way.
No group has claimed responsibility for the alleged attacks, and police have not confirmed the abductions.
Armed gangs, locally known as bandits, frequently carry out kidnappings in northern Nigeria, often targeting remote communities and vulnerable gatherings for ransom or as a show of force.
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The conflicting narratives highlight the challenges of verifying security incidents in volatile regions, where rumours can spread rapidly amid longstanding concerns about banditry and communal violence.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
