The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has deployed the initial denial by security agencies the recent abduction of about 170 worshipers in Kaduna describing the denial as inexcusable when the incident actually happened.
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, many worshippers in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State where abducted by armed men, identified by local witnesses as bandits.
They stormed three different churches simultaneously during their morning services.. The attacks according to.reports occurred at approximately 9:00 AM and 11:25 AM at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and two branches of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and local leaders provided a list of 170 missing persons after the abduction incident
Reacting to the statement by the Archbishop Daniel Okoh, statement issued by the Nigeria Police Force confirming the abduction incident at Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
For nearly two days, the Kaduna State government and police denied that the event took place, with some officials calling the reports fake news.
But with the release of a detailed list of names by the community, the Nigeria Police Force officially confirmed the incident on Tuesday January 20.
Reacting to the confirmation by the police, CAN in a statement signed by it’s president , Archbishop Daniel Okoh said the Police ought to have done it’s investigation before denying the incident.
Whole noting that verifying security incidents, especially in remote communities, can be challenging CAN said that does not “excuse lapses in how sensitive matters are communicated to the public, particularly when reports involve mass abductions and threats to human life.”
The initial denial according to CAN heightened confusion. It added that “While the need to prevent panic is understandable, caution must not be communicated in ways that suggest denial or indifference.
“Statements made by senior security officials carry significant weight and should therefore be guided by due diligence, empathy, and a clear understanding of their impact on public trust and social stability.”
CAN commended the Inspector-General of Police for confirming the incident and directing the deployment of operational and intelligence assets to the affected area. “These steps are necessary and welcome. However, they must be accompanied by a more disciplined, people-focused approach to crisis communication going forward.” CAN stated..
It then called on all security agencies and relevant authorities to “strengthen coordination, improve verification processes, and ensure that credible reports from communities are treated with the seriousness they deserve. Victims must be protected, genuine distress calls respected, and misinformation, whether dismissive or sensational, avoided.”
The body also urged government to comfort persistent insecurity in the country whole calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those abducted.
The Christian body prayed for the safe return of the abducted people and urged security agencies “to intensify all efforts—operational, intelligence, and diplomatic—towards securing their swift rescue. The lives of innocent citizens must remain paramount”
