Kaduna church attack: 80 worshippers escape, 86 still held

The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, has said 80 worshippers abducted during the January church attacks have escaped, while 86 others remain in captivity.

Gunmen stormed three churches in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State in January, abducting about 177 people. At the time of the attack, 11 victims were reported to have escaped while being taken away.

According to The Cable, Dan’azumi said the additional 80 escapees fled on the same day of the abduction but became disoriented in the forest and were unable to return to the community immediately.

“They ran into the forest and hid because of fear on the very day of the incident,” he said. “We have now confirmed that 80 of our people were found in different locations.”

He explained that contact was re-established only days later, when one of the victims reached out and disclosed their location, allowing the community to organise a search.

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“One of them called and told us where they were. We sent people there and confirmed their whereabouts,” Dan’azumi said.

According to him, the escapees believed Kurmin Wali had suffered the same fate as a nearby village that was reportedly razed by bandits, a fear that kept them hidden and prevented earlier communication.

A headcount carried out on Friday confirmed that the 80 individuals were located across different forest settlements. Dan’azumi said search teams have since been dispatched to other areas to determine whether more victims are still hiding.

He added that the authorities have been formally notified of the development, though many of the escapees remain reluctant to return home.

“The government has been informed that 80 people have been found,” he said. “They want us to gather them together, but fear is still stopping many of them from returning. We have, however, confirmed their locations.”