Kaduna: 5-month old babies among kidnapped Kaduna Church worshippers – Activist
Fresh facts have emerged that church worshippers’ kidnapped in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State included women, children and about five infants of five months old.
The attackers reportedly blocked the exit entrance and herded the congregants into the bush, and vanished into the surrounding forest.
An activist and Founder of Eagle Brain Human Rights Organization, Comrade Daniel Ejembi made the revelations in a statement after his fact-finding mission and eyewitness account of kidnapping incidents and systemic government neglect in Kurmin Wali village, on January 20, 2026.
“The attackers blocked exits, herded congregants into the bush, and vanished into the surrounding forest. Victims included women, children, and even infants as young as five months old, highlighting the indiscriminate brutality that has become all too common in Nigeria’s banditry hotspots”, he stated.
According to him, Church leaders and community figures have placed the number of those still held at around 163–166, after accounting for escapees, adding that the figures aligned with reports from other credible sources, despite initial police statements describing the incident as unconfirmed or overstated.
He asserted that the January 18 attack was not in isolation, revealing that just days earlier, in January 11, 2026, bandits kidnapped 25 villagers from Kurmin Wali.
“The community scrambled together and got ₦2.5 million in ransom, drawn from personal savings, loans, and collective contributions to secure their release.
“Village Head, Danazumi emphasized the financial devastation: families already struggling with poverty were pushed deeper into debt to save loved ones.
“This pattern of repeated abductions underscores a failure in security provisioning. The Village Head recounted calling the nearby Army checkpoint during the January 11 incident, only to be met with refusal to intervene.
“They bluntly refused to come to our aid,” he said, expressing deep frustration and betrayal”, Mr. Ejembi lamented.
Even more troubling, according to him, was the visit by the Commissioner of Police following an earlier incident.
“According to Danazumi, the commissioner arrived, observed briefly, and departed without speaking to him or key witnesses, no questions, no detailed inquiry. This lack of engagement leaves victims feeling abandoned and perpetrators emboldened.
“Beyond the immediate security crisis, Kurmin Wali embodies chronic state neglect. The community has no electricity, primary or secondary school, forcing children to trek long distances if they’re to attend at all or remain uneducated and vulnerable.
“There is no primary health care facility; medical emergencies require arduous journeys to distant towns”, he added.
He also stated that residents repeatedly told him that “The only time we see government presence is during elections”.
“Politicians arrive with promises and minor inducements, then vanish for years. This abandonment fosters despair, making communities easy targets for criminals who exploit isolation and weak infrastructure.
‘Initial official denials, citing no evidence after quick visits, risk discrediting genuine victims and delaying rescue efforts”, he stressed.
Accordingly, he observed that “While security agencies often provide conservative early figures, and communities higher ones (a common pattern in Nigerian mass kidnappings), eyewitness accounts and community leadership paint a clear picture of real suffering”.
“Dismissing these as “fear-mongering” without thorough, transparent investigation erodes public trust at a time when unity against insecurity is desperately needed”, he explained
He also called for immediate action and deployment of sustained security forces to protect Kurmin Wali and surrounding communities, full independent investigation into the January 18 abductions, including alleged non-response by security personnel.
Mr. Ejembi stated that investigative team was led by himself to Kurmin Wali to document human rights abuses, including impacts on vulnerable groups such as children and women, identify systemic issues contributing to insecurity and neglect, amongst others.
Earlier, the CEO stated that “Kurmin Wali, a village nestled in a forested area with poor road access, is home to a largely Christian population reliant on subsistence farming. Upon arrival, we were met by wary but welcoming residents eager to share their stories’.
“Our primary source was the Village Head, Ishaku Danazumi (also referred to as Sarki, who spoke candidly about the horrors his people have endured.
“The most shocking revelation was the confirmation of a large-scale kidnapping during Sunday church services on January 18, 2026.
“Armed gunmen, reportedly arriving on motorcycles and wielding sophisticated weapons, stormed three churches simultaneously: the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, and Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church.
“According to the Village Head and consistent testimonies from survivors and eyewitnesses, 177 worshippers were abducted in the initial raid. Eleven individuals, including the Village Head himself, managed to escape that evening amid the chaos”, he narrated.
To him, Kurmin Wali’s plight is a microcosm of broader challenges in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions: banditry fueled by ransom economies, herder-farmer tensions, and systemic marginalization of rural areas.
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