After the villagers sold thousands of bags of maize to pay ransom demanded by kidnappers, the suspected terrorists who abducted no fewer than 177 worshippers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have increased their ransom demand to N250million and 20 motorcycles.
The village head of Kurmin Wali, Mr Ishaku Dan’azumi, disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking on the plight of the community, days after armed men stormed three churches in the area and carried out one of the largest mass abductions recorded in recent times.
Elders of Gidan Waya community in Lere Local Government Area told reporters they had sold more than 3,000 bags of maize to raise ₦40 million demanded by kidnappers who abducted 13 villagers during a late-night raid in November. More than three weeks after the money was delivered, none of the captives has been released.
According to Dan’azumi, the attack occurred on January 18, 2026, when gunmen invaded Kurmin Wali village during a religious gathering, abducting men, women and youths indiscriminately.
The Sun reports that Dan’azumi said the latest demand by the kidnappers was far beyond the reach of the largely rural community, already battered by repeated attacks and economic hardship.
“This is beyond what our people can afford. We are pleading with the government and security agencies to come to our aid and secure the release of our people,” the village head said.
Residents of Kajuru Local Government Area, located in southern Kaduna, have for years lived under the shadow of banditry and kidnapping, with communities frequently targeted for mass abductions, killings and arson attacks that have displaced hundreds of families.
Many villagers have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety, abandoning farmlands and livelihoods, as security challenges continue to escalate in rural parts of the state.
Community leaders are now urging the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to urgently intensify rescue efforts and deploy stronger security measures to prevent further assaults on vulnerable rural communities.
Law & Society previously reported that the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State Muhammad Rabiu, visited one of the churches where terrorists abducted worshippers in Kurmin Wali, a remote community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, following the deadly attack that has thrown the area into fear and mourning.
Multiple sources recalled that during the visit, the police commissioner, who arrived at the scene with heavily armed security operatives, instructed everyone present to switch off their mobile phones and warned them not to record videos or take photographs throughout the visit.
According to sources, the commissioner also visited the surrounding areas affected by the attack.
The visit followed attacks on communities in southern Kaduna. Meanwhile, the same police commissioner earlier denied that any abduction of worshippers took place.
SaharaReporters obtained a video from the scene showing the commissioner of police surrounded by armed officers as he inspected the church building and interacted with some of the victims.
In the video, one of the victims, seen wearing a yellow jersey, has visible head injuries. The victim reportedly escaped from the terrorists as they were transporting the abducted worshippers into the forest.
During the visit, the commissioner was seen speaking directly to the injured victim inside the church, questioning him in Hausa about how he managed to escape from the abductors and what exactly transpired during the attack.
Narrating his ordeal to the commissioner and his team, the victim explained that the attack happened suddenly while they were in church for worship.
He said, “When we reached the place where they chased people, I was carrying my daughter in my hand. Because we were many, when we reached an area where houses were close to each other and the road was narrow, I managed to escape. I entered one house and locked it. None of them noticed me.”
When the police commissioner asked whether he was inside the church when the attack began, the victim clarified that he was worshipping in another church nearby.
“I was in the second church, ECWA church,” he said.
As entire villages across Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, Sokoto and other states empty out under the weight of repeated attacks, critics warn that Nigeria is sliding into a ransom-driven shadow economy—one where survival depends not on citizenship, but on the ability to pay.
For the families still waiting, the questions are becoming sharper and more dangerous:
If security forces denied the attacks when they happened, who was being protected—and who was abandoned?
