Fresh concerns over insecurity in Southern Kaduna have emerged following a coordinated attack by bandits on two churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to reports, the attack occurred on Sunday, January 18, at about 11:25 a.m., when armed bandits invaded the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and Cherubim and Seraphim Church II during worship. The assailants, said to be heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, abducted an unspecified number of worshippers, taking them to an unknown location.
A reliable security source confirmed that the exact number of abducted persons was still being determined, as the community continued to gather information amid fear and confusion. Kurmin Wali is described as a remote, forested community with difficult terrain, a factor that has historically made security response and access challenging.
Residents say the attack, carried out in broad daylight and within places of worship, has further heightened anxiety in the area and reinforced long-standing concerns about the safety of rural communities in Kajuru and across Southern Kaduna.
In response, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division, alongside other security agencies, have been mobilised to the area in collaboration with community stakeholders. Security sources say efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted worshippers and track down the perpetrators.
For many in Southern Kaduna, this latest incident underscores a painful reality: communities remain vulnerable despite repeated assurances of improved security. Attacks on churches not only violate the sanctity of worship but also deepen the trauma of communities already burdened by years of violence, displacement, and loss.
Southern Kaduna Voices calls on the Kaduna State Government and federal authorities to move beyond routine condemnations and security deployments, and to adopt sustained, intelligence-driven actions that will prevent such attacks, protect rural communities, and bring lasting peace to the region.
As families wait anxiously for news of their loved ones, the people of Kurmin Wali — and Southern Kaduna at large — are once again left asking a familiar question: how many more lives must be disrupted before decisive action is taken?
