At least 80 worshippers who escaped kidnapping during a bandit attack on the Kurmin Wali village in the Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, have returned home after spending about two weeks seeking safety in neighboring villages.
Ishaku Dan’azumi, the Village Head of Kurmin Wali, verified the return of the victims to their families.
Dan’azumi stated that, while about 177 worshippers were first believed to have been taken during the raid, 80 were later discovered to have fled and sought refuge in adjacent settlements.
He did, however, reveal that 86 devotees are still taken captive by the bandits.
“We have observed that some people are trying to politicize our situation even as families are going through serious trauma.
“We are appealing to the government and the military to expedite action to secure the safe return of the remaining 86 people still in the bandits’ camp,” Dan’azumi said.
A military source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, ascribed the return of the displaced worshippers to ongoing security operations targeting bandits’ hideouts throughout Kajuru and other woodland corridors.
According to our correspondent, specifics of how the 80 worshippers escaped, as well as the actual circumstances of those still in prison, remain unclear.
The development occurred amid increasing violence in the area, when bandits launched a new attack on the Maikori village in Kajuru’s Maro Ward on Tuesday, murdering three inhabitants.
The victims were named as Hassan Agola, Lawal Samson, and Baba Apolo by a resident who asked to remain anonymous for security concerns.
According to residents, Kurmin Wali was attacked on a Sunday night when armed men raided the hamlet during a prayer service, abducting many attendees and forcing others to flee.
Families of the abducted worshippers are believed to be living in dread but remain hopeful of their safe return following increased military operations in the area.
It was gathered that troops had stepped up patrols and offensive operations in recent days, enabling some displaced residents to cautiously return to their homes.
The fresh killings in Maikori have heightened tensions throughout Kajuru, with residents and community leaders demanding a greater and more permanent security presence to avoid future attacks.
When contacted, Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Mansir Hassan stated that the police would produce a complete report on the worshippers’ return.
“The police is going to come out with a comprehensive report surrounding the Kurmin Wali abduction,” Mansir said.
