Nearly 175 worshippers were abducted on Jan. 18 from three churches in Kaduna State in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Christian advocacy groups reported, after at least 35 were killed in separate attacks on villages in the Middle Belt and eastern Nigeria.
Approximately 163-167 Christians remained captive on Jan. 20, according to reports from CSW and International Christian Concern, with witnesses and others attributing the abductions to bandits and Fulani militants, although no group has claimed responsibility.
Fulani herdsmen are blamed for killing at least 12 Christians in various attacks in several Plateau State villages Jan. 1-9, killing 13 Christians in several attacks in Benue State Jan. 5-12, and 10 Christians in four villages in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria Jan. 10, Christian Daily International-Morning Star News (CDI-Morning Star) said in three separate reports.
“Two Christians who are members of our community were attacked by a group of armed Fulani herdsmen in broad daylight,” CDI-Morning Star quoted Yohana Thomas, head of the Plateau Youth Council of the Gyel District in Jos South County in Plateau. “One of the victims was stabbed to death, while the second victim suffered life-threatening injuries.”
The killings and kidnappings are separate from the murder of 58 individuals in Christian villages in Niger State, Nigeria, Dec. 29-Jan. 3. The Islamic State in West African Province released video footage it described as Adamawa village burning, but Open Doors has said it was not able to verify the date nor location of the footage.
In the Jan. 18 abductions, attackers divided themselves into three groups and captured worshipers from three churches in the Kurmin Wali community of the Kajuru Local Government Area, including the Evangelical Church Winning All, Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim 1 and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim 2.
Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, chief executive officer of CSW Nigeria, lamented the attacks while applauding military successes he said occurred in the past few months to counter the violence.
“CSW condemns the repeated attacks on the vulnerable people in Kurmin Wali and surrounding communities,” Nmadu said in a CSW press release. “We urge the security agencies to ensure the prompt release of those abducted and to enhance security for all other vulnerable areas.
“We also call on the government to strengthen the local capacity of these villagers to serve as the first line of defense against terrorists who are increasingly emboldened by each unchallenged abduction.”
While some Nigerian federal authorities denied the kidnappings, several elected officials confirmed it, (CDI-Morning Star) reported.
A ministry team of CSW Nigeria tried to visit the Kurmin Wali community to verify the kidnappings, but Nigerian military officials told them of a standing order not to let them enter the area, the group reported.
“However, several local sources who later spoke to CSWN on the basis of anonymity said a large number of Fulani militia men had stormed the area on foot and on motorcycles at around 9 a.m. (Jan.18) as members of the community were attending their respective church services,” CSW said in a press release. Sources told CSW Nigeria they were compiling a list of the names of those still held, believed to be 167 individuals.
Among the captive are Baptist church leader Daniel Bagama, CSW said, who was abducted from Tudun/Bussah village in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna Jan. 18 with his three daughters.
CSW Founder and President Mervyn Thomas expressed high concern for attempts to obscure the abductions, calling on the government to do all it can to secure the captives’ release.
“The government of Nigeria at both state and federal levels must be transparent about the scale and severity of the security crisis the country is experiencing,” Thomas said, “and specifically about the asymmetry with which Christian communities are being targeted, in order to ensure an effective response to the terrorism that has blighted the lives of vulnerable citizens across central Nigeria for far too long.”
A group of 24-30 worshippers abducted in Kogi State in December were freed in poor condition in three separate incidents Jan. 1-13, CSW said.
The Nigerian government classified bandits and Fulani militants as terrorist groups for the first time in December 2025.
Nigeria is among the U.S. State Department’s countries of particular concern for committing and/or tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.
In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors ranks Nigeria as 7th among the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians, and the deadliest, accounting for 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith in the 2026 reporting year spanning 2025.
This article has been republished with permission from Baptist Press.
