Police Commissioner Visits Kaduna Church of Abducted Worshippers, Orders Phones Switched Off as Escapee Recounts Ordeal
The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Muhammad Rabiu, has visited one of the churches where armed terrorists abducted worshippers in Kurmin Wali, a remote community in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state, following a deadly attack that has plunged the area into fear and mourning.
The visit came days after gunmen stormed churches in the community, killing some residents and abducting several worshippers during Sunday services. The incident has sparked outrage, especially after earlier reports in which the police authorities denied that any abduction took place.
Phones Switched Off During Visit
According to multiple sources, the police commissioner arrived at the church with heavily armed security operatives and immediately instructed everyone present to switch off their mobile phones. He reportedly warned against taking photographs or recording videos throughout the visit.
Sources said the commissioner also toured surrounding areas affected by the attack as part of an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in southern Kaduna communities recently hit by violent assaults.
Naija News House obtained a video from the scene showing the commissioner surrounded by armed officers as he inspected the church building and interacted with some of the victims. One of the victims seen in the video, wearing a yellow jersey, had visible head injuries and appeared weak.
Escaped Victim Narrates Ordeal
During the visit, the commissioner was seen questioning the injured victim in Hausa inside the church, asking how he escaped from the abductors and what transpired during the attack.
Narrating his ordeal, the victim explained that the attack happened suddenly while worshippers were in church.
“When we reached the place where they chased people, I was carrying my daughter in my hand. Because we were many, when we got to an area where houses were close to each other and the road was narrow, I managed to escape. I entered one house and locked it. None of them noticed me,” he said.
When asked whether he was inside the church when the attack began, the victim clarified that he was worshipping in another nearby church.
“I was in the second church, ECWA church,” he stated.
Another police officer then asked him to describe what happened when the terrorists arrived.
“While we were inside the church, we heard people screaming. When I came outside, I saw bandits standing in front of our church with guns. I carried my daughter and wanted to run away, but one of them warned that he would kill me if I tried. I stopped immediately,” the victim recounted.
He added that the attackers forced worshippers to follow them and that, at another church, he saw more abducted worshippers already gathered.
Victims Beaten, Forced Into the Bush
According to the victim, the terrorists assembled all abducted persons, including those taken from other locations before the church attack, and forced them to march into the bush.
“They gathered all of us and told us to enter the bush. In one town they had already emptied, they stopped us and began beating us without asking any questions. After beating us, they ordered us to continue walking,” he said.
He explained that he eventually escaped in another community by hiding in a house before fleeing through the bush back to Kurmin Wali.
Sources said the victim was visibly traumatized, with head injuries believed to have been sustained during the attack or while escaping.
Anger in Community
Residents of Kurmin Wali expressed anger and frustration over what they described as repeated failures of security agencies to protect rural communities in southern Kaduna, which has suffered frequent attacks by armed groups.
Community members also questioned the decision by the police commissioner to order phones switched off during his visit, describing it as an attempt to prevent documentation of the scene and the condition of victims.
Meanwhile, many families remain in anguish as several worshippers are still being held captive, with no official confirmation on rescue efforts or negotiations.
Activists, Village Head Confirm Abductions
The Kurmin Wali attack is the latest in a series of assaults on churches and rural communities in Kaduna State, raising concerns about worsening insecurity and the safety of worshippers.
Activists who visited the affected churches confirmed that at least 11 people managed to escape during the attack, contradicting claims on social media and earlier government statements denying that any abduction occurred.
The activists also met with a village head, who confirmed that worshippers were abducted and that several escapees were severely beaten before managing to flee.
“They beat them and injured them badly. We can only confirm those we have seen with our own eyes, those who escaped,” the village head said.
One of the victims reportedly removed his clothes to show activists scars and bruises on his back, highlighting the level of violence inflicted by the attackers.
The activists said their findings and direct interactions with victims and community leaders provided clear evidence that the abduction of worshippers did take place.
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