Over 170 worshippers have been kidnapped during church services on Sunday as bandits invaded churches in Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
ECWA and Cherubim and Seraphim churches were attacked by the gunmen.
Sources said nine vulnerable persons among the victims later returned home.
The Northern Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph John Hayab, revealed this, saying it was a sad incident.
Hayab said, “I don’t like talking about the figures but I got from the area that 172 were said to have been abducted and 9 managed to escape, with the remaining 163 people still with the abductors,” he said.
“It’s a very tough and sad thing but we will not give up. The security agencies and the government are making an effort towards restoration of peace in Kaduna and we are happy with it.
“Whatever is the reason, we are not going to give up. We want to work with the security agencies and the government to ensure that these people return safely.
“We know the efforts that have been put in place by security and the government to ensure that there’s restoration of peace, so we cannot be accusing people.
“If they (bandits) are doing it to provoke anger, they will be surprised. We’ll get our people back just as others have been coming back these days. These people will come back,” he said.
The Kaduna State Government and the Police were yet to issue any official statements on the incident as at the time of filing this report.
