Eighty worshippers kidnapped by gunmen in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state have returned home weeks after their abduction, police have confirmed.
The group was among 177 people seized last month during coordinated raids on three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali. According to police, the 80 managed to escape on the same day they were taken but went into hiding in nearby villages for nearly two weeks out of fear of being recaptured.
Kaduna state police spokesman Mansur Hassan told the BBC that the escapees only resurfaced after believing it was safe to return home. Efforts are continuing to secure the release of the remaining 86 people still being held captive.
The attack forms part of a broader wave of kidnappings for ransom that has affected large parts of Nigeria in recent years. No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions.
Police initially denied the raid had taken place, only confirming the kidnappings on 21 January after local residents told the BBC that 177 worshippers had been abducted. Eleven people were reported to have escaped shortly after the attack.
The delayed official response drew criticism from Amnesty International, which accused Nigerian authorities of “desperate denial” and urged them to take immediate action to curb the growing problem of mass abductions.
Nigeria continues to face overlapping security challenges, including Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and deadly clashes between farmers and herders in central regions. Analysts say efforts to address these threats are often undermined by corruption, poor intelligence sharing and underfunded local security forces.
The worsening security situation has also drawn international attention. In December, the United States carried out airstrikes in north-western Nigeria targeting camps linked to an Islamist militant group. Following the strikes, US President Donald Trump warned of further action if attacks on Christians continued.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is home to more than 250 ethnic groups and is broadly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and largely Christian south, with significant religious mixing in central regions. The government has repeatedly said people of all faiths have been victims of the violence.
