Eighty residents of a northern Nigerian community who evaded capture during a bandit raid on their church service have safely returned home after hiding in nearby settlements for nearly two weeks, local leaders reported Sunday, as security forces intensify efforts to free dozens still held hostage.
The attack struck Kurmin Wali in Kajuru district on a Sunday evening, targeting worshippers at a local gathering and initially sparking fears that 177 people had been kidnapped by armed assailants.
Village chief Ishaku Dan’azumi clarified that while 86 individuals remain in captivity, the 80 escapees sought refuge in adjacent areas and have now rejoined their families amid ongoing military sweeps.
“We have observed that some people are trying to politicise our situation even as families are going through serious trauma,” Dan’azumi told journalists.
He urged: “We are appealing to the government and the military to expedite action to secure the safe return of the remaining 86 people still in the bandits’ camp.”
A security official, speaking anonymously, credited intensified patrols and strikes on hideouts in Kajuru and surrounding forests for facilitating the returns, though details of the escapes remain unclear.
The incident underscores persistent insecurity in Kaduna, a hotspot for banditry that has claimed lives and displaced communities through abductions, raids and property destruction.
Tensions escalated further with a separate assault Tuesday on Maikori village in the same district, where gunmen killed three locals identified as Hassan Agola, Lawal Samson and Baba Apolo, according to residents.
Community voices have demanded bolstered deployments to avert more violence, as affected families endure uncertainty over the hostages’ fate.
Kaduna police spokesman Mansir Hassan pledged transparency, saying: “The Police is going to come out with a comprehensive report surrounding the Kurmin Wali abduction.”
Authorities have ramped up operations, but banditry continues to plague the region, fueling calls for sustained intervention.