15,000 Christians Driven from Southern Kaduna Since 2023
By Mike Odeh James
(Kaduna) — The wooden pews still face the altar, but no one sits in them anymore.
At the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kurmin Wali, a farming community in Kaduna State, hymn books remain scattered across the concrete floor—exactly where they fell on January 18, 2026, when armed men stormed three churches during Sunday worship.
That morning, 177 Christian worshippers were abducted and marched into nearby forest hideouts. Eleven later escaped. One hundred and sixty-five people remain missing.
Within days, Kurmin Wali began to empty.
True, locals are celebrating the recent return of 80 people mistakenly thought to have been kidnapped Jan. 18. The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi, confirmed media reports on the development in a telephone interview on Sunday. He explained that although initial reports suggested that 177 worshippers were abducted during the attack, 80 later managed to escape and sought refuge in nearby communities. Dan’azumi disclosed that 86 worshippers are still in captivity and appealed to the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure their release. “We are calling on the government and the military to act swiftly to ensure the safe return of those still held by the bandits,” he said.
The development comes amid renewed violence in the area, as Fulani terrorists reportedly attacked the Maikori community in Maro Ward of Kajuru Local Government Area on Tuesday, killing three residents identified as Hassan Agola, Lawal Samson and Baba Apolo.
A Village Abandoned
Kurmin Wali is one of a growing number of Christian villages across southern Kaduna that are rapidly being depopulated following repeated attacks and mass kidnappings.
Of the village’s original population of about 900 people, roughly 700 have fled, abandoning homes, farmlands, and churches.
“They came while we were singing in church,” said Yunana Dauji, secretary of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. “They surrounded us and forced people into the forest.”
Another resident confirmed the displacement. “Only about 200 people are still here. Everyone else has run.”
Kaduna State Questions the Abduction
In the days following the attack, Kaduna State officials publicly questioned reports of a mass abduction, urging caution over what they described as unverified figures.
Families of the missing and church leaders strongly disputed that position, citing eyewitness accounts, testimonies from escapees, and ongoing ransom negotiations, and reported by TruthNigeria on Jan. 20, 2026.
Repeated calls by TruthNigeria to the Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security for updated information went unreturned.
A Wider Pattern of Violence
Residents say the Kurmin Wali attack reflects a broader pattern of violence across southern Kaduna and Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where largely Christian farming communities have faced sustained assaults by armed Fulani groups.
While authorities often describe the crisis as farmer–herder clashes, community leaders insist the violence is organized and systematic—aimed at displacing villagers and seizing ancestral lands.
“These are not random clashes,” said Friday Agbo of the Kaduna-based Alternative Think Tank. “Villages are attacked, people are forced out, and return becomes impossible.”
Who Are the Attackers?
Residents and community leaders identify the attackers as armed Fulani groups, commonly referred to as Fulani terrorists, Fulani ethnic militia, or armed Fulani terror gangs—terms used to distinguish them from peaceful Fulani pastoralists.
According to security analysts, these armed groups are organized, heavily armed networks composed largely of Fulani fighters operating from remote forests. They finance their activities through kidnapping, ransom collection, village raids, and the occupation of abandoned farmlands.
Community leaders say the groups function as ethnic-based militias, targeting predominantly Christian farming communities and forcibly displacing residents.
While federal and state authorities often describe the violence as criminal banditry, residents insist the attacks amount to a terror campaign rooted in ethnic militia activity and land seizure.
Another Village, Same Outcome
In Kajuru County, Tribal Chief Simone Maisamari stood amid the ruins of Kikwari 1, his ancestral village.
“This place is empty. Everyone has gone,” he said to TruthNigeria.
Once home to hundreds of Christian farmers, Kikwari 1 is now completely abandoned after repeated attacks between 2023 and 2025.
In neighboring Kikwari 2, fewer than 100 residents remain, living under constant fear.
Displacement on a Massive Scale
In May 2023, the Atyap Community Development Association held a World Press Conference. Led by National President Samuel T. Achie, they presented devastating statistics from 2017-2023: 20 villages displaced, 18 burned, 518 killed, and thousands forced to flee.
In 2022, the Southern Kaduna People’s Union reported that about 200,000 people from more than 145 communities had been displaced by violence.
“That number is already outdated,” Agbo said. “More villages have been abandoned since 2022—and almost all of them are Christian communities.”
For families of the abducted, survival often depends on ransom payments.
TruthNigeria interviews show that relatives paid ₦40 million (about $27,000) to secure the release of 26 Christians. In another case, a family paid ₦5.6 million (about $3,700) for the release of Christopher Barnabas. In a separate incident, ₦400,000 (about $260) was paid.
In total, at least ₦46 million—about $31,000—was paid to armed groups in these documented cases alone.
Hundreds Kidnapped Since 2023
Based on interviews, TruthNigeria estimates that at least 275 people were kidnapped across southern Kaduna between 2023 and early 2026.
Documented cases include Kurmin Wali/Maro (177), Congo Village (24), Bonjok (18), Kikwari (5), Rafinkunu (6), and other nearby villages.
TruthNigeria’s attempts to obtain comments from Kaduna State security officials regarding the January 2026 attack were unsuccessful.
In Kurmin Wali, the churches remain silent. The pews are still there. The hymn books remain on the floor.
Federal Government Rejects ‘Christian Genocide’ Claims
Nigeria’s federal government has rejected claims that Christians are being systematically targeted, arguing that the violence affects Muslims and Christians alike and is driven by criminal banditry and weak rural security.
However, Rev John Joseph Hayab and the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria insist there is deliberate and systemic persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Nigerian government denial got pushback from the President of Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) speaking to TruthNigTH
Mike Odeh James is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
