Kaduna State Government’s initial denial of the reported kidnapping of Christian worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area was driven by concerns about attracting United States scrutiny and protecting the state’s fragile peace narrative, according to multiple security and government sources familiar with the matter.
Saharareporters had previously reported that in a daring attack on Sunday, a gang of bandits struck multiple churches in the Kurmin Wali area of Kajuru Local Government, Kaduna State, abducting over 100 worshippers during ongoing services.
The Chairman of 19 Northern States chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, subsequently confirmed the abduction, adding that 172 worshippers were abducted of which some returned leaving 163 worshippers in captivity.
Shortly after the report, the Kaduna State government countered the claims by the CAN, adding that no Christian worshippers were kidnapped during Sunday services in three churches in the Kajuru local government area.
Briefing journalists shortly after a security meeting, the government debunked the claims through the duo of the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu and the Chairman of Kajuru local government, Dauda Madaki.
The CP, Rabiu said the reported kidnap of over 100 worshippers at Kajuru, is mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos in Kaduna State.
However, the sources who spoke to Saharareporters exclusively on Wednesday, said the decision to debunk the incident followed confirmation by the Northern leadership of the CAN and was aimed at “downplaying publicity” around the abduction of worshippers during Sunday services.
“One of the overriding considerations was to avoid drawing attention from Washington, given the posture of the U.S. administration on Nigeria’s internal conflicts,” a source with knowledge of the discussions told SaharaReporters. “There was a clear effort to manage the optics.”
Another source pointed to political calculations tied to Governor Uba Sani’s re-election prospects and the state’s now-collapsed peace arrangement with armed groups.
“The kidnapping cut directly against the government’s peace model,” the source said. “Admitting it would have been embarrassing, so the instinct was to deny.”
Sources further alleged that the state government engaged in subtle media control to minimize reports of killings and kidnappings across Kaduna.
“There has been pressure to preserve the sanctity of the peace model,” one source said. “As a result, violent crimes perpetrated by bandits and Islamic terrorists have been underreported by media on the ground.”
Police Headquarters Intervenes
Separately, senior officers at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) headquarters in Abuja were said to be dismayed by the handling of the incident by the Kaduna State Police Command.
A senior police officer at Force Headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that the denial did not emanate from a collective decision of the State Security Council.
“From our findings, it was not the collective decision of the State Security Council,” the officer said. “It was the decision of the Governor and his team to direct the Commissioner of Police, the Commissioner of Internal Security, and the local government chairman to debunk the confirmation by CAN, for strategic reasons best known to the Governor, which we cannot rationalize.”
The officer said the sequence of events raised red flags within the police hierarchy.
“We also noted curiously that the Governor, after the same security meeting, posted an update on his official social media handles about general security developments but failed to mention or deny the specific kidnapping,” the source said. “That clearly indicated something was amiss.”
According to the officer, the media had already aired interviews with CAN’s Northern chairman, Rev. John Hayab, confirming the abduction before the state’s denial was issued. “Yet suddenly, after the State Security Council meeting on Monday, officials were directed to debunk the story, claiming not a single person was kidnapped,” the source said.
“We know there were infractions,” the officer added. “This is why we insisted the Commissioner of Police visit the area, which he did. We in Abuja have since issued a statement confirming the incident occurred and that we are doing our best to resolve it.”
The police source further alleged that government officials went beyond verbal denials.
“Apart from television interviews the police commissioner granted, government officials wrote and issued statements and even shared videos of the briefing on several platforms,” the officer said.
Behind-the-Scenes Efforts
Despite the public denial, sources said the state government has been engaged in quiet efforts to secure the release of the abducted worshippers. “There have been several shuttles behind the scenes on how to recover the worshippers,” a credible source said.
According to the source, Governor Sani has been in Abuja consulting with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other security chiefs.
“The consultations are focused on who can be instrumental in securing their release,” the source said.
