The police have confirmed the mass abduction of worshippers in a church in Kaduna after initial denial by one of the force’s commissioners. Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

The residents of Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru LGA in Kaduna, had on Sunday reported that bandits invaded the community and kidnapped scores of worshippers. However, the Kaduna police commissioner, Muhammadu Rabiu, in a joint statement with local government officials, said the report was false.

Mr Rabiu described the report as “mere falsehood being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos”.

Mr Hundeyin said that upon receiving the mass kidnapping report, Governor Uba Sani immediately convened the Kaduna State Security Council. He said some individuals from the affected local government area disputed the earlier police report.

“This created uncertainty and reinforced the need for caution and thorough verification by the police and other security agencies before making conclusive public statements on such a sensitive matter.

“In this context, comments made by the CP during a media interaction were intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed.

“Those remarks, which have since been widely misinterpreted, were not a denial of the incident but a measured response pending confirmation of details from the field, including the identities and number of those affected,” he said.

The police spokesman said subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources had confirmed that the incident was not false. He said the police had activated coordinated security operations, working closely with other security agencies, with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area.

Mr Hundeyin said the inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, had directed the full deployment of critical operational and intelligence assets to Kajuru and the surrounding communities.

According to him, these efforts include the deployment of tactical units, intensified patrols already in place, targeted search-and-rescue operations, and proactive measures to protect lives and property.

Mr Hundeyin called for patience and cooperation from the public and the media.

He urged the public to rely on the official police communications for verified information and to avoid speculation or sensational reporting that could jeopardise ongoing operations or heighten public anxiety.

(NAN)