Police in Nigeria’s Kaduna State have confirmed that armed bandits kidnapped dozens of villagers over the weekend, after initially dismissing reports of the attack.

In a statement on Tuesday, Nigeria’s national police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, acknowledged the Sunday abduction and said security forces have launched operations “with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area.

” Hundeyin explained that earlier denials by officials were “intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed.”

The police did not disclose the number of those kidnapped.
Kaduna State lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo told the Associated Press that 168 people are missing.

The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that at least 172 worshippers were taken during the raid, with nine escaping, leaving 163 still in captivity.

The attack is part of a broader wave of mass kidnappings in northern and central Nigeria, where armed gangs often called “bandits target villages for ransom, looting homes and religious sites.

According to local reports, gunmen stormed three churches on Sunday while villagers were praying, abducting roughly a quarter of the community’s residents.

Residents later received demands from the attackers, who are reportedly seeking the return of 10 motorcycles they had hidden in the bush.

Locals say they are unable to comply.
This incident follows a similar attack in November when more than 300 students and teachers were abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State.

Nigeria’s complex religious and regional tensions have contributed to widespread violence affecting both Christians and Muslims. The United States has increasingly focused on the security situation in Nigeria, including carrying out strikes on armed groups in Sokoto State with the Nigerian government’s approval.

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