ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Kaduna State Police Command on Monday flatly denied reports of the alleged abduction of worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state, describing the claims as false and unfounded.
Reacting to reports that more than 100 Christians were abducted during Sunday church services in Kurmin Wali, the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, challenged those behind the allegation to produce the names and details of any purported victims.
“The story is a mere falsehood. Anyone who claims people were kidnapped should come forward with names and particulars,” Rabiu said while speaking with journalists after a State Security Council meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.
The police commissioner alleged that the reports were being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs bent on destabilising the state and warned that purveyors of false information would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Rabiu stressed that security agencies were not opposed to scrutiny but insisted that facts must guide public discourse, especially on sensitive security issues.
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, had earlier claimed that no fewer than 163 worshippers were abducted by suspected terrorists in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area.
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Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, told journalists that the alleged abductions occurred during Sunday services at Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1 and Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2 in the community.
Hayab said he received a distress call from the CAN chairman in the area, who reported that armed attackers stormed the churches while worship was ongoing, locked the gates and marched congregants into the surrounding bush.
According to him, eight of the abducted worshippers reportedly escaped, while 163 others were allegedly still being held by the attackers as of Monday.
“Security officers are already on top of the matter. We commend their efforts and urge them to do everything possible to rescue our brothers and sisters safely and unhurt,” Hayab said.
The report had sparked renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of Southern Kaduna, a region that has witnessed repeated attacks despite ongoing security operations.
But adding to the police’s rebuttal, the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Mr. Dauda Madaki, said security agencies immediately moved to Kurmin Wali following the reports and found no evidence of any attack.
“When I heard the rumour, I mobilised the police and other security forces to Kurmin Wali. We visited the church where the so-called kidnap was said to have taken place and found no trace of any incident,” Madaki said.
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He disclosed that the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and the youth leader of the community, Bernard Bona, both confirmed that no such attack occurred.
“I have asked those making the claim to provide a list of the kidnapped persons. Up till now, no one has come forward with a single name,” the council chairman added.
Madaki alleged that the rumour was sponsored by individuals unhappy with the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kajuru and urged residents to remain calm and vigilant.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Sule Shuaibu (SAN), said investigations, including consultations with CAN leadership and other religious stakeholders, showed that the reports were unfounded.
“What was circulated in the public space was completely false,” Shuaibu said, reaffirming the Kaduna State government’s zero tolerance for criminality and misinformation.
Security agencies urged members of the public to rely on verified information and report suspicious activities through official channels, warning that the spread of false security reports could inflame tensions and undermine peace efforts.