Fresh panic has gripped Kurmin Wali, a quiet Christian-dominated community in Kajuru Local Government Area of southern Kaduna, following a chilling twist in the ongoing saga surrounding the mass abduction of worshippers during Sunday church services. As families await word on the fate of their loved ones, DDM NEWS can authoritatively report that the abductors have placed an unusual and disturbing precondition before ransom negotiations can even begin: the payment of nearly N28.9 million for motorcycles allegedly lost during recent military operations.
The latest attack, which occurred on Sunday, January 18, 2026, marked the second violent assault on Kurmin Wali within a single week. Armed men stormed at least three churches during morning worship, abducting a total of 177 worshippers, including women, children, and the elderly. While 11 victims later escaped, 166 remain in captivity, their fate hanging in the balance as negotiations remain stalled.
Confusion initially trailed reports of the abduction. On Monday, the Kaduna State Government, the state police command, and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area dismissed early accounts of the incident as unverified. However, the Northern Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, confirmed the abduction to journalists, triggering public outrage and concern.
By late Tuesday, the Nigeria Police Force officially acknowledged the incident. Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified via social media that earlier comments by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Rabiu, were not a denial but a cautious response pending confirmation from the field, including the identities and number of those affected.
As the dust settled, the true scale of the tragedy became impossible to ignore. DDM NEWS gathered that by Wednesday, Kurmin Wali had become a ghost town. Homes were abandoned, farms lay fallow, schools were shut indefinitely, and fear reigned supreme.
A resident, Linus Abu, told reporters that the community was still reeling from a previous attack on January 11, when suspected armed Fulani militia kidnapped several villagers. According to him, the victims were only released after the community raised and paid N23 million in ransom.
“They called us and told us exactly what to do,” Abu recounted. “Some of our people had to carry the money in sacks and take it deep into the bush. We thought that nightmare was over, but barely a week later, it became worse.”
Unlike the earlier abduction, the current kidnappers have not formally demanded a monetary ransom—at least not yet. Instead, they issued a startling ultimatum: the community must first compensate them for 17 motorcycles, which they claim were lost during recent military offensives.
According to Abu, the abductors pegged the value of each motorcycle at N1.7 million, bringing the total cost to N28.9 million.
“They said we must pay for all the motorcycles before they will even talk about ransom for the people they are holding,” he said.
Confirming this account, the village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed during a telephone interview that the bandits contacted a community-appointed negotiator and insisted that the issue of the missing motorcycles must be resolved first.
“They accused our people of stealing some motorcycles and removing parts like carburetors and spark plugs from others,” Dan’azumi said. “They said until all 17 motorcycles are returned or paid for, none of our people will be released.”
Dan’azumi added that no direct cash ransom demand had been made so far, beyond the compensation for the motorcycles. He also revealed that the mass abduction appears to be linked to intensified military operations targeting bandit camps in parts of Kajuru and neighbouring Kauru Local Government Areas.
Fear has since crippled daily life in Kurmin Wali. Residents have fled to neighbouring communities, markets are deserted, and economic activities have ground to a halt.
“There is no farming, no school, nothing,” said Hasan Emman, a local farmer. “Most of us have run away. We are afraid. How can we negotiate when everyone is scattered?”
During a visit to the area, reporters observed locked shops, empty streets, and residents too frightened to speak openly. Families of the abducted worshippers expressed anger and despair, accusing authorities of initially downplaying the incident.
“Our people are suffering in the forest, and they said nothing happened,” one distraught resident told DDM NEWS. “If we don’t cry out, who will help us?”
Church officials and survivors provided harrowing accounts of the coordinated attack. The gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, reportedly struck multiple churches simultaneously around 9am, moving with military-like precision.
Yunana Dauji, Secretary of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kurmin Wali, said the attackers surrounded two branches of the church and warned worshippers not to attempt escape.
“They moved us from one church to another, gathering people,” he said. “From our church alone, they took over 50 people.”
The Evangelical Church Winning All was also targeted. Its secretary, Joseph Bawa, said the attackers burst into the sanctuary shouting and immediately began seizing worshippers.
“They gathered us together and marched everyone into the forest,” he said.
Among those abducted was the village head himself. His son, Linus Madami, later confirmed that Dan’azumi managed to escape alongside 10 others, but his two wives and two children remain in captivity.
“In total, 177 people were taken,” Madami said. “I narrowly escaped after struggling with one of the gunmen.”
Some captives escaped during the forced march. According to Bawa, when the abducted group reached a shallow river, a few deliberately slowed down.
“When the gunmen crossed first, those who slowed down ran back because the attackers could not cross quickly,” he explained.
Military sources, speaking to DDM NEWS, confirmed that the attackers were bandits fleeing sustained military offensives in parts of neighbouring Kauru LGA. Troops had reportedly dislodged them from long-established camps around Gabachua, Legede, and the Agwalla mountain and forest corridors.
One source described the abduction as retaliatory.
“They lost logistics, especially motorcycles used for mobility,” the source said. “This abduction was meant to compensate for those losses and spread fear while they fled.”
Although troops were deployed following intelligence reports, the attackers reportedly diverted towards rugged forest belts around the Karamai and Rijana axis, exploiting difficult terrain to evade capture.
Security forces are now on full alert, with ongoing “hot pursuit” and exploitation operations aimed at tracking the criminals and rescuing the abducted worshippers.
Meanwhile, the Commandant of the 2 National Mission Force Brigade, Samaru Kataf, Navy Captain I.T. Akaazua, disclosed that troops have rescued three kidnapped victims, including a child, and destroyed several terrorist camps in Kauru LGA.
“Another operation on Tuesday led to the rescue of three victims,” Akaazua said, adding that fierce gun battles were fought in dense forests where the criminals had terrain advantage.
As anxiety deepens, residents and community leaders are urging the Federal and Kaduna State governments to sustain military pressure, strengthen intelligence gathering, and ensure the safe return of the abducted worshippers.
For now, Kurmin Wali waits—gripped by fear, uncertainty, and the unbearable cost being placed on human freedom.
