Nigerian Police Confirm Terrorists Kidnapped Villagers After Initial Denials

Kaduna, Nigeria – January 21, 2026

The Nigeria Police Force has formally confirmed the abduction of Christian villagers at Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, days after public denials and conflicting official statements sparked outrage, fear, and deep mistrust among residents.

In a press statement issued from Force Headquarters and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Police acknowledged that terrorists indeed carried out the abduction, contradicting earlier assurances that the incident was false, and an attempt to wipe up sentiments.

The confirmation came only after sustained pressure from local communities, civil society voices, and independent reports that consistently affirmed the attack.

According to the Police, confusion arose after a meeting of the Kaduna State Security Council, where some individuals from the affected area reportedly disputed the incident despite confirmation from victims.

The Force claimed this contradiction necessitated the initial denials “caution and verification,” a position that many Nigerians view as a familiar pattern of institutional hesitation whenever mass atrocities occur in rural communities.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police had earlier made public comments denying that the abduction ever occured. While the Police now insist those remarks were intended to prevent panic, critics argue that such statements routinely undermine victims, delay response times, and embolden armed groups who operate with near-total impunity.

Only after “subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources” did the Police activate what it described as coordinated security operations, including tactical deployments and search-and-rescue efforts.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, allegedly ordered the deployment of intelligence and operational assets to Kajuru and surrounding communities.

However, the delayed acknowledgment has reignited long-standing accusations that Nigeria’s security architecture selectively responds to violence against Christians, particularly when the perpetrators are widely identified by local populations as Fulani terrorists.

Community leaders and human rights observers have repeatedly accused the Nigerian government of using its security networks not to dismantle terror groups, but to shield them, suppress public outcry, and manage narratives.

Across Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and parts of the Middle Belt, similar patterns have emerged: attacks occur, survivors speak out, authorities deny or downplay the incidents, and only later issue cautious confirmations after the damage is done.

Arrests are rare, prosecutions are nonexistent as exampled by the recent freeing 70 Suspected Fulani Terrorists by Kastina State Governor, leaving victims exposed to repeat attacks.

These realities have fueled growing accusations that the Nigerian state is either unwilling or unable to confront Fulani terrorist networks, which many Nigerians describe as carrying out a slow but sustained genocide against indigenous communities.

While the government continues to attribute insecurity to “banditry” or “unknown gunmen,” critics argue that such language deliberately obscures the ethnic and ideological dimensions of the violence.

The Police, in their statement, appealed to the public and the media to rely solely on official communications and avoid “speculation.” Yet for many Nigerians, it is precisely official silence, denial, and delayed truth that have created the vacuum filled by fear and distrust.

As villagers remain in captivity and families wait in anguish, the Kurmin Wali incident stands as another indictment of a security system that reacts late, speaks cautiously, and consistently fails to hold perpetrators accountable.

Until transparency replaces denial and justice replaces press statements, many fear that confirmations will continue to come only after lives have already been shattered.

 

 

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