Nigerian authorities have been urged to ensure the safe rescue of 166 worshippers abducted during coordinated attacks on three churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The abductions occurred on Sunday, 18 January 2026, while church services were ongoing. Those taken include women, children and pregnant women, raising serious concerns about their safety and wellbeing.
Residents of the community and relatives of the victims told Amnesty International that armed men stormed the village and moved from one church to another, forcibly taking all worshippers present. The rights organisation described the incident as further evidence of the continued insecurity in rural parts of northern Nigeria, where gunmen operate with little restraint.
Amnesty International condemned what it described as official denial of the incident by the police and the Kaduna State government, insisting that such responses undermine accountability and public confidence.
The organisation said the mass abduction highlights persistent failures by the authorities to curb killings and abductions that have plagued the region for years. It added that the latest incident raises fresh questions about the effectiveness of current security measures under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Amnesty International called on the federal and state governments to take immediate and concrete steps to rescue the abducted worshippers and to address the growing pattern of mass abductions, warning that such attacks are becoming increasingly routine across the country.
The organisation stressed that protecting civilians and ending impunity for armed groups must remain a priority to restore security and prevent further violations.
