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• Faults police, Govt officials’ claims •Obi condemns abduction, accuses Tinubu of misplaced priorities
From Sola Ojo, Abuja
In spite of official denial by the Kaduna State government and the state police command, residents of Kurmin Wali community in Afogo Ward of Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, have insisted that scores of worshippers were abducted during church services on Sunday, January 18.
To buttress its position, the community has released a list containing names of 177 alleged abductees from three churches: a Catholic, an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and another Cherubim and Seraphim church.
The release of the list came after the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, publicly challenged those making the claims to provide names and other details of the alleged victims.
Credible community sources confirmed that the police commissioner had yesterday morning visited the area on a fact-finding mission.
According to sources, families of the alleged abductees have established contact with the kidnappers and were aware of the general location where the victims are being held.
“If they want, the escapees are on the ground to testify. The location of the rest of them have been established,” a source said.
However, the sources claimed that security operatives in the area have been constrained from acting decisively due to the official position that no abduction occurred.
“This was how former President Goodluck Jonathan was misled and denied the abduction of Chibok girls only to admit when it was too late.
“We don’t want a repeat of that. How could those saddled with the responsibility of protecting our lives and property denied the abduction of such a huge number of their citizens?
“They should have accepted and then summoned courage to go after these criminal elements in good time,” the source lamented.
Community members expressed disappointment over what they described as a denial of their ordeal by authorities responsible for their protection, warning that delays could endanger the lives of the victims.
Another source said the abducted persons were mostly children and youths and were reportedly moved on foot into surrounding forests shortly after the attack, a situation the community believed could have allowed for an early rescue if action had been taken promptly.
Kaduna State Police Command and the state government had earlier dismissed reports of the abduction as false, insisting that security checks in the area found no evidence of an attack.
As of the time of filing this report, no official response has been issued regarding the newly released list of alleged abductees.
Meanwhile, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concern over reports of the abduction.
Obi, on his verified ‘X’ handle described the abduction as another grim reflection of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
He noted that although the government and the police have stated they are not aware of the alleged abduction, the recurring reports of mass kidnappings, disputed figures and official denials point to a broader crisis of safety, leadership and national cohesion.
“Whether confirmed or contested, the frequency of such reports alone shows a greater crisis of safety, leadership, and unity.”
The former Anambra State governor lamented that communities across several states, including Benue, Zamfara, Kano, Niger and Plateau, have recently faced similar security challenges, stressing that Nigeria is not officially at war yet continues to record casualty figures comparable to conflict zones.
Obi accused the Federal Government of misplacing its priorities, arguing that a government capable of mobilising resources for “waste, propaganda and foreign lobbyists” should also be able to secure communities and protect lives.
He expressed solidarity with the people of Kaduna State and families of the alleged victims, assuring them of his support and prayers.
“To the people of Kaduna, you are not alone. We stand with you, and to the families whose loved ones were taken, we share in your pain.”
He added that he hoped those abducted would be rescued safely and that the injured would recover fully.
Obi stated that if the reported incident turns out to be untrue, it would be a cause for gratitude, but if otherwise, authorities must act swiftly to address the situation.
He, therefore, called on the government to treat human life as sacred and to urgently confront the country’s growing insecurity, insisting that “a new Nigeria is possible.”
