Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has clarified that 183 worshippers—not 177 as earlier reported—were abducted from three churches in Kurmin Wali community on January 18, 2026.
According to the governor, 11 of the victims managed to escape during the attack, leaving 172 persons initially unaccounted for. He explained that 83 of the abducted worshippers later returned on their own, while the remaining 89 were rescued through a joint security operation.
Governor Sani disclosed this while receiving the rescued victims at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. He described the incident as unfortunate and unexpected, adding that security measures had already been put in place across the state prior to the attack.
He commended President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies for their collaboration, which he said was instrumental to the successful rescue of the victims.
The governor further revealed that construction of an access road to Kurmin Wali community has commenced. He added that plans are underway to build a hospital and a skills acquisition centre in the area, while President Tinubu has also approved the establishment of a military base in Kurmin Wali to strengthen security.
