•IGP Egbetokun and bandits
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that an abduction incident did take place at Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, following days of uncertainty and conflicting reports.
A statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, acknowledged that the incident, which sparked fear and anxiety among residents, was initially disputed during a meeting of the Kaduna State Security Council convened by Governor Uba Sani.
The Frontier had earlier reported that after the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Northern region, John Hayab, said on Monday that scores of worshippers were abducted in the community the previous day, the Police Command in Kaduna and the state government said the reports were “false”.
But in a statement issued today by the Force Headquarters in Abuja stated that, “Subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources has confirmed that the incident did occur,” reports Channels TV.
According to the Force, some individuals from the affected local government area described the report as false, creating uncertainty and the need for further verification by security agencies.
The Police explained that comments earlier made by the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Rabiu Muhammad, which were widely interpreted as a denial, were in fact aimed at preventing public panic while details were being confirmed.
The Force Public Relations Officer, however, said subsequent checks by operational units and intelligence sources confirmed the abduction.
In response, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of critical operational and intelligence assets to Kajuru and surrounding communities.
The police say tactical units have been deployed, patrols intensified, and targeted search-and-rescue operations are underway to locate and safely rescue the victims, while restoring calm to the area.
It, however, appealed to the public and the media to rely only on official sources for verified information and to avoid speculation that could jeopardise ongoing operations.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern region, John Hayab, said scores of worshippers were abducted in the community.
However, the police command in Kaduna and state government said the reports were “false”
Rabiu, the police commissioner in the North-West state, challenged those with evidence of the incident to table it.
“Anyone who has evidence should come forward with the list of kidnapped persons and their particulars,” Rabiu said during a press briefing.
On his part, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu, said he had engaged CAN at the state level and community leaders.
Shuaibu said the engagements indicated that the reports were “completely false”.
The incident is the latest in a series of mass abductions in parts of Nigeria.
