•Bandits
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has raised the alarm over the abduction of 15 married women in Borno State, even as the group laments the government’s seeming silence on the 166 kidnapped church worshippers in Kajuru Local Council of Kaduna State.
In a statement yesterday, MBF President, Dr Pogu Bitrus, said: “The Middle Belt Forum continues to anxiously await any credible news on the 166 Adara worshippers abducted from three churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, 15 days ago.”
Besides, he pointed out that “we are compelled to draw urgent global attention to another mass abduction that has remained silent despite its seriousness.”
Bitrus explained that “on 18 December 2025, 15 married women from Kilakasa village, Dille District, Uba Emirate, Uba/Askira Local Government Area in Southern Borno, were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists as they fished by a nearby river,” adding: “These women, who are all Christians of the Marghi ethnic group, are mothers, caregivers and pillars of their families.”
He continued: “They are aged 30 to 40, and all have children; at least one woman has six young children left without a mother. Despite immediate reporting to police and partial ransom efforts by families, communication with the abductors has mysteriously ceased, and no rescue operation has been put in place, to the best of our understanding.”
“While we hail the swift rescue of 12 girls abducted by Boko Haram from a communal farm in Mussa District, Askira Emirate, just four days after their capture by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, we urge the same level of urgency, focus and commitment on these unfortunate women in the terrorists’ den,” Bitrus added.
In a related development, the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide has confirmed the release and safe return of 151 of its members abducted from the Iburu community in the Kajuru council area of Kaduna. The abduction occurred on January 18, 2026.
In a statement issued by the Conference Secretary General, Anthony Olusesan Samaiye, the church said the development was confirmed through reports from its liaison officers in Kaduna.
According to the statement, the Supreme Head, Emmanuel Abiodun Adewale Alogbo, described the release as a victory for faith, prayer and dialogue.
The church said the breakthrough followed an emergency visit to Kaduna by its leadership and a series of high-level engagements aimed at securing the freedom of the abducted worshippers.
The church expressed gratitude to the Kaduna State government, particularly Governor Uba Sani, for what it described as his commitment to dialogue and the coordination of state resources that contributed to the successful outcome.
The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Sani Liman Kila, and the Senior Special Assistant on Religious Affairs (Christian Matters), Ishaya Jangado, were equally commended for facilitating engagement between the church and the state government.
The ministry also acknowledged prayers and support from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), the international community and Christians worldwide.
