A 60-year-old Nigerian woman identified as Sarah Peter has described her miraculous escape from armed kidnappers who attacked her church in Kurmin Wali village, approximately 135km north of Abuja. The assault occurred during Sunday morning worship services when gunmen stormed multiple churches in the region.
Sarah, whose name has been changed for security reasons, sustained a severe head injury when attackers struck her with a rifle butt to force compliance. ‘Blood was all over,’ she recounted, visibly traumatized days after the incident. Despite her injuries and physical limitations, she managed to hide from her captors during the forced march and crawled back to safety.
The coordinated attacks targeted branches of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church and two other congregations, resulting in what local Christian Association of Nigeria officials describe as over 160 missing persons. While 11 worshippers including Sarah successfully escaped, the majority remain unaccounted for three days after the incident.
Kurmin Wali’s proximity to Rijana forest in Kaduna state presents particular security challenges, as the area serves as a known hideout for criminal gangs locally referred to as ‘bandits.’ These groups have increasingly engaged in ransom-driven abductions across Nigeria’s northwestern region, creating a widespread security crisis.
Authorities initially denied the attacks occurred despite eyewitness accounts, only confirming the incidents after 48 hours of confusion. Local residents have accused officials of attempting to suppress information about the kidnappings, with reports of journalists being blocked from accessing the village.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani eventually visited the traumatized community, promising to establish a military base between the village and Rijana forest, construct a hospital and road infrastructure, and provide medical support to affected residents. ‘We cannot relocate them because they have to farm… but to ensure that we protect them going forward, we need to have a military base,’ Governor Sani told the BBC.
The attack reflects Nigeria’s escalating security challenges, with kidnapping for ransom becoming increasingly commonplace despite official prohibitions on payments to captors. While international attention has grown regarding religious targeting in Nigeria, officials maintain that Muslims, Christians, and non-religious individuals have all been affected by the insecurity.
Survivor Christopher Yohanna, who escaped with his two-year-old daughter but lost two wives and other children, encapsulated the community’s despair: ‘If my family is not with me then my life is worthless and free of any joy.’ As families await news of their missing relatives, they hope the governor’s security promises will materialize before further attacks occur.