…Calls For Rescue Of Victims
…Failed cover-up shows APC treats insecurity lightly – PDP
….Peter Obi urges action on Kaduna abduction
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticised security agencies over their response to the recent abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN expressed concern over what it described as poor public communication by the security agencies.
The association said the early response lacked sensitivity and thoroughness, noting that dismissing reports of the incident before proper verification caused confusion and further eroded public confidence in the authorities.
CAN’s reaction followed hours after the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officially acknowledged the kidnapping.
Reports of the abduction in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, first surfaced on Sunday, with claims that more than 100 worshippers were taken during the attack.
Both the Kaduna State Government and security agencies initially dismissed the reports, insisting that no such incident had occurred.
However, days later, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the abduction did take place.
In a statement issued late on Tuesday, Hundeyin said intelligence and operational findings had verified the incident.
He explained that the earlier position of the Kaduna State Police Command was aimed at preventing panic while investigations were ongoing and facts were being established.
Reacting to the police confirmation, CAN acknowledged the challenges security agencies often face in verifying incidents, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
However, the association stressed that such challenges do not justify shortcomings in the handling of sensitive information.
CAN said it was disturbed by the early dismissal of reports about the abduction before a comprehensive verification was carried out, describing the approach as inappropriate given the gravity of the incident.
“The initial public dismissal of reports about this incident, before thorough verification, was deeply troubling.
“It generated confusion, heightened fear, and unfairly questioned the credibility of nearly 170 worshippers, their families, clergy, and eyewitnesses who raised the alarm,” the statement said.
It added that, “In situations of this gravity, public communication must not appear dismissive of the suffering or fears of affected citizens.
“While the need to prevent panic is understandable, caution must not be communicated in ways that suggest denial or indifference.”
The association emphasized that statements from senior security officials carry immense weight and must be delivered with care, accuracy, empathy, and a clear understanding of their effects on public trust and social stability, particularly in situations involving threats to human life.
CAN acknowledged the subsequent confirmation of the abduction and commended the Inspector-General of Police for deploying operational and intelligence resources to the affected area, describing the action as both necessary and welcome.
However, the association stressed that such measures should be accompanied by a more disciplined and people-focused approach to crisis communication in the future.
It urged all security agencies and relevant authorities to strengthen coordination, improve verification procedures, and ensure that credible community reports are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
“Victims must be protected, genuine distress calls respected, and misinformation, whether dismissive or sensational, must be avoided,” CAN stated.
The association also called on governments at all levels to tackle the persistent insecurity across the country with renewed urgency, warning that recurring attacks continue to threaten lives, disrupt worship, and undermine public confidence.
CAN appealed for the immediate and unconditional release of all those abducted, praying for their safe and unharmed return.
It urged security agencies to intensify every possible effort, operational, intelligence, and diplomatic, to ensure a swift rescue, stressing that the protection of innocent lives must remain the highest priority.
Failed cover-up shows APC treats insecurity lightly – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the police’s initial denial of the abduction of residents in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state as “shameful’.
On Sunday, gunmen attacked three churches in the community and whisked away over 100 worshippers attending church service.
On Monday, the Kaduna police command dismissed the reports as a falsehood spread by “conflict entrepreneurs” seeking to disrupt the state’s relative peace.
Muhammad Rabiu, the state’s commissioner of police, challenged those spreading the reports to provide names and details of the victims, insisting that there was no record of such abductions.
Following police denial, the Christian Solidarity Worldwide–Nigeria (CSW-N), a human rights group, said the abductions took place, adding that security operatives obstructed efforts to independently verify the incident.
On Tuesday, Benjamin Hundeyin, public relations officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), confirmed the abduction, saying tactical and intelligence assets have been deployed to rescue the victims.
‘Denial Shows APC Treats Insecurity With Levity’
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ini Ememobong, PDP spokesperson, said the federal government’s silence and the “outright denial” of the abduction by the Kaduna police command and Kajuru LGA chairman is a “dangerous pattern recurrent in the course of this administration’s normalisation of insecurity and a deliberate attempt to obscure the truth from Nigerians”.
“These denials are deeply hurtful, not only because they are evidently false, but because they reveal the manifest levity with which this administration treats serious matters like security,” the statement reads.
“What makes this even more painful is that, according to the villagers, the police were immediately alerted when the kidnapping occurred. They had the opportunity to act. Instead, they chose denial, prioritising the government’s image over the lives of 163 Nigerians.
“This act of public betrayal and failed cover-up is most shameful and condemnable.”
Ememobong asked the Kaduna police command and the Kajuru LGA chairman to apologise to Nigerians for the denial.
The PDP spokesperson also urged the federal government to immediately deploy a high-powered security team to trace, rescue, and safely return these kidnapped Nigerians to their homes and families.
Leadership is acting when lives are at risk’ – Peter Obi urges action on Kaduna abduction
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has urged authorities to take proactive measures following the confirmed abduction of worshippers from churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Obi made this call in a statement posted on his social media page on Wednesday.
The former Anambra State governor questioned the initial denials of the incident and criticized the handling of information by security authorities.
“Since it has now been confirmed that over 150 worshippers were kidnapped, where and how did those who denied the incident initially get their information?” he asked.
The stalwart of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, further stated that leadership goes beyond holding office.
“In any serious country, this would trigger decisive national action, clear communication, and visible leadership.
“Leadership is not only about grabbing power, but it is also about presence. It is about speaking when citizens are hurting, acting when lives are at risk, and showing clearly that every Nigerian life matters,” Obi said.
The former presidential candidate stressed the urgency of securing the victims.
“We must act now to ensure that all victims are released safely and unharmed and to continue confronting decisively this persistent crisis of insecurity in our nation. Enough is enough. A New Nigeria is possible,” he said.
