Christian Solidarity Worldwide – Nigeria (CSW-N), has alleged that its team was denied access to Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where scores of residents were reportedly abducted by bandits.
The organisation said the incident occurred during a fact finding visit to verify reports that armed men attacked three churches during Sunday worship and abducted over 100 worshippers, including men, women and children.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Rabiu, and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Dauda Madaki, had on Monday dismissed reports on the abductions, saying it was “mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos in Kaduna State”.
Rabiu and Madaki, had, at a press conference on Monday at the Government House, Kaduna, challenged those making the allegations to provide the names and other details of victims of the alleged abductions.
The council chairman said he personally led security operatives to the community after hearing rumours of the incident but found no evidence of any attack.
According to him, the churches where the abductions were said to have occurred showed no sign of violence, while traditional and youth leaders in the area also denied that any such incident took place.
He said, “those promoting the reports were conflict entrepreneurs seeking to undermine the relative peace being enjoyed in Kajuru Local Government Area.”
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna and signed by its Research and Press Officer, Reuben Buhari, CSW -N insisted that the abduction occurred and accused security personnel of obstructing its verification efforts.
The organisation said its team was turned back by soldiers acting on orders not to allow access to Kurmin Wali.
The statement said, “Sources in the community told CSW- N that on Sunday, 18 January, worshippers gathered at the three churches in the village for their regular Sunday services but were abducted by armed bandits.
“To obtain further details about the abduction and verify them in person, CSW – Nigeria decided to visit the community…
“After about an hour, the team reached Makyali village and took the unmarked road to the community.
“Thirty minutes later, as the team was about to enter Kurmin Wali, CSW-N encountered a military convoy, including the chairman of Kajuru Local Government, which was leaving the community.
“They later refused to allow CSW- N team entry, despite repeated pleas and after the team showed full identification.
“The military officer who stopped the CSW N said there was a standing order not to allow us in. “Consequently, our team turned and was escorted to the main road, back to Kaduna.”
According to the CSW-N, “the attackers arrived on motorcycles and on foot, split into three groups and targeted three churches, ECWA Church, Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1, and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2.”
The statement said, worshippers were forced into the bush, while elderly women and young children were later released and 11 persons reportedly escaped.
The organisation said residents informed it that 167 persons remained in captivity at the time of its engagement with community sources and that efforts were ongoing to compile the names of those abducted.
The group described the alleged abduction as deeply troubling and condemned the repeated targeting of vulnerable communities.
It said Kurmin Wali and surrounding settlements had suffered several attacks in recent years, citing an incident on January 11, 2026, when 21 residents were reportedly abducted and released after a ransom of about N7 million was paid.
The Christian body accused the state and federal governments of failing to protect rural communities, describing the recurring attacks and abductions as a dereliction of responsibility.
CSW insists mass abduction occurred in Kajuru, accuses military of blocking access to community
