Gunmen raided two churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kaduna state, and abducted more than 170 worshippers during Sunday services. Afiniki Moses — freed after a prior ransom payment — said her husband was among those still missing; the Christian Association of Nigeria reports 163 unaccounted for. Witnesses described chaos at the Evangelical Church Winning All and the Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church, and relatives say many remain desperate for news. The attack has intensified scrutiny of Nigeria's security response and drawn international attention.
Mass Church Abductions in Kaduna: Over 170 Worshippers Seized in Kurmin Wali
An interior view of Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, after an attack by gunmen in which worshippers are kidnapped, in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
A woman who had been released after a previous ransom payment was plunged back into fear when gunmen struck again in Kaduna state. Afiniki Moses, who was freed on Jan. 15, told reporters that the same armed group returned to Kurmin Wali village on Sunday and seized more than 170 people during services at two churches.
Afiniki Moses, who escaped an attempted kidnapping while her husband was abducted during an attack by gunmen in which worshippers were taken from an ECWA church, speaks to Reuters in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna, Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
She said her children later managed to escape, but her husband remains among the 163 people the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says are still unaccounted for. "They kidnapped a large number of people in the community and my husband happened to be among them. As you can see me now, I am not feeling fine," Moses said.
Idris Madami, a school teacher who escaped an attempted kidnapping during an attack by gunmen in which worshippers were abducted from an ECWA church, speaks to Reuters in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna, Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
Eyewitness Accounts
At the Evangelical Church Winning All in Kurmin Wali — one of the churches targeted — a Reuters reporter observed signs of panic: overturned plastic chairs, a Bible left on a seat and musical instruments that suggested a lively service had been under way when the raid occurred.
An interior view of Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, after an attack by gunmen in which worshippers were kidnapped, in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna, Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
Nearby, Idris Madami said he was outside the Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church when gunmen, armed with rifles, arrived. He escaped but said roughly 20 relatives at that service were taken and he has had no contact with them. "I have two wives (and) three children among those kidnapped," Madami told Reuters.
An exterior view of ECWA Church, after an attack by gunmen in which worshippers were kidnapped, in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
Context And Response
Kidnappings have proliferated in recent years, mainly in remote areas of northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently ride into villages on motorcycles and abduct residents — often to demand ransom. Nigerian officials say they are pursuing Islamist militants and other criminal groups that target both Muslim and Christian civilians.
A drone view of Kurmin Wali, where churches were attacked by gunmen and worshippers were kidnapped, in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna, Nigeria, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna
The incident has drawn international scrutiny. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited what he calls persecution of Christians in Nigeria and threatened action, including after an airstrike on Christmas Day; the Nigerian government denies that Christians face systematic persecution. Abuja has also retained a Washington-based consulting firm to help publicise its efforts to protect religious communities.
Impact: The mass abductions have intensified calls for stronger protection in volatile northern communities and highlighted Nigeria's ongoing security challenges.
Reporting by Abdullahi Alhassan in Kaduna; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Aidan Lewis. Reuters.
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