Police in northern Nigeria have denied reports that churchgoers were abducted on Sunday in Kaduna State, calling the claims false.
In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna State Police Commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the reports as “mere falsehoods being spread by conflict entrepreneurs aiming to create chaos.”
Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of church attendees. Nigeria has faced a wave of mass kidnappings, with both Christians and Muslims targeted, often for ransom payments.
Referring to Sunday’s alleged abductions, the police commissioner challenged anyone to provide a list of victims or any verifiable details.
Dauda Madaki, chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, said security forces were deployed to Kurmin Wali after receiving reports, but found “no evidence of the attack.” He added that the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, confirmed there had been no such incident.
Authorities also cited the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, who said religious leaders visited the area and confirmed that “what was circulated publicly was completely false.”
However, a community leader, Ishaku Dan’azumi Sarkin, had previously told the BBC that armed men attacked Kurmin Wali on Sunday, claiming 177 people from three churches. He said 11 people escaped, several were injured, and no deaths were reported.
In November, over 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Nigeria, though they were later released in two groups. Such incidents highlight the ongoing security crisis in the country.
Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges, including kidnappings for ransom, Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and conflicts between herders and farmers in central regions over land and water. Experts point to corruption, poor intelligence sharing, and underfunded policing as obstacles to resolving these crises.
Last month, Nigeria’s Defence Minister resigned amid the kidnapping crisis, officially citing health reasons. The United States has also taken military action, launching airstrikes on two Islamist militant camps in north-western Nigeria on Christmas Day. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of further strikes if attacks on Christians persisted.
A Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alkasim Abdulkadir, responded by emphasizing Nigeria’s commitment to protecting all citizens, stating, “Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, without discrimination.”
