Over 160 members of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) are now held captive by kidnappers in Kaduna and Kogi states, with their families facing severe ransom demands, the Church’s leadership has disclosed.
The revelation comes as the Church expresses concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation, following the recent kidnapping of worshippers in the Kajuru Local Government Area in Kaduna State.
According to a statement issued by ECWA President Rev. Job Bagat, “About 100 members from the Kwassam District Church Council, 30 from the Saminaka District Church Council in Kaduna State, and another 30 from the Kabba District Church Council in Kogi State were already being held by kidnappers before the latest incident in Kajuru.”
ECWA called the scenario profoundly disturbing and indicative of the escalating insecurity that communities around the country face.
The Church expressed deep concern about what it described as frequent and targeted attacks on Christian communities, clergy, and ordinary citizens, stating that such crimes violate constitutional rights to life, worship, and security.
According to the statement, “ECWA pastors, church workers, and members in several states have suffered killings, abductions, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods, leaving many communities traumatized and abandoned.”
ECWA condemned the abduction of worshippers on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in the Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area, describing it as “sacrilegious and barbaric. The armed invasion of churches during worship, which was confirmed by the Nigeria Police Force, is sacrilegious and barbaric, further deepening fear and national anguish,” the statement said.
Rev. Bagat stated that the Kajuru attack by the kidnappers was part of a larger pattern of violence that affected several ECWA District Church Councils, including Katari and Gidan Waya in Kaduna State; Katsina South in Katsina State; Patigi, Omu-Aran, and Ora-Ago in Kwara State; Kabba District in Kogi State; Gwol and Mangu in Plateau State; and Shiroro in Niger State.
While praising the Federal Government’s intensified efforts and the eventual deployment of security officers to Kajuru, the ECWA expressed deep worry about response delays, noting that such failures waste crucial time and strengthen criminal networks.
The Church emphasized the importance of proactive, intelligence-driven, long-term, preventive security measures, especially in vulnerable rural populations.
As a result, the ECWA urged the federal, state, and local governments to strengthen intelligence gathering and early warning systems, respond quickly and effectively to threats, prosecute perpetrators and their sponsors transparently, and provide adequate protection for places of worship and other soft targets.
The Church also urged traditional rulers, community leaders, and citizens to foster unity, shared vigilance, and peaceful coexistence, expressing its sympathy with all victims of insecurity, as well as its commitment to prayer, peacebuilding, advocacy, and practical assistance to impacted areas.
