KADUNA, Nigeria — For Afiniki Moses, the nightmare was supposed to be over. Released on January 15 after her family paid a ransom to kidnappers in northern Kaduna, she returned home to the fragile safety of her village. But by Sunday, the terror had returned.
In a brazen daylight raid on January 18, 2026, armed gangs—locally known as “bandits”—stormed three churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru County, seizing more than 170 worshippers during morning services. While Moses’ two children managed to escape the march into the bush, her husband remains among the 163 victims still held captive.
The attack has ignited a diplomatic and political firestorm, exposing deep fractures in Nigeria’s security apparatus and drawing the direct “crosshairs” of the United States.
A Pattern of Denial and Chaos
The incident was initially shrouded in “information chaos.” For 48 hours, Kaduna state police and local officials dismissed reports of the kidnapping as “rumors” and “totally false,” claiming there was no evidence of an attack.
However, following a public outcry and the release of hostage lists by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the national police force issued a stunning U-turn on Tuesday night. Spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the abduction, stating the earlier denials were a “measured response” intended to prevent panic while verifying facts.
Geopolitical Stakes: The “Trump Factor”
The mass abduction comes at a perilous time for the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Nigeria is currently under intense scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened military intervention over what he characterizes as the systematic persecution of Christians. This follows a controversial U.S. airstrike conducted on Christmas Day 2025.
While the Nigerian government insists the violence is criminal rather than religious—targeting both Muslim and Christian communities for ransom—the optics of the Kurmin Wali raid have bolstered international critics.
Kaduna Security Crisis: At a Glance
| Metric | Sunday Attack Details |
| Date of Attack | Sunday, January 18, 2026 |
| Locations Targeted | 2 Cherubim & Seraphim churches; 1 ECWA Sunday School |
| Total Abducted | 172-177 (initial reports) |
| Currently Missing | 163–168 Worshippers |
| Ransom Trend | Avg. 10m–20m Naira per individual |
A Community Under Siege
Survivors describe a coordinated assault. Gunmen surrounded the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and two Cherubim and Seraphim buildings simultaneously, blocking exits with AK-47s. Witnesses report the assailants shouted slogans before forcing the congregation toward the Rijana forest, a notorious stronghold for kidnap-for-ransom syndicates.
“They gathered the people and forced them into the bush,” a resident told investigators. For families like the Moses’, the recurrence of violence suggests a “clear dereliction of responsibility” by the state, as rural communities are drained of both their people and their meager resources.
