Kaduna church attack: management insists troops rescued 31 victims before bandits fled with other victims, debunks contrary claims

By: Zagazola Makama

The management of churches in Ariko community, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has insisted that troops of the Nigerian Army responded swiftly and rescued several worshippers during a recent bandit attack, contradicting claims that no rescue took place.

This follows a statement by a community group alleging that reports of the rescue of abducted persons during the Easter service attack were false, insisting that all victims remained in captivity.

However, eyewitnesses and church officials who spoke to newsmen during an on spot assessment in the community gave detailed accounts of how security forces intervened during the attack, leading to the recovery of some victims and preventing further abductions.

A church official, who identified himself as the secretary of one of the affected churches, said the attack occurred on Sunday morning while three churches ECWA, Baptist and Roman Catholic were holding services simultaneously.

According to him, local vigilance teams stationed around the churches raised the alarm after sighting armed men approaching the area.

“I give some boys around the road during every service to watch out for any threat. So immediately we were in service, the boys started shouting ‘bandits, bandits’. That was how people began to run out of the churches,” he said.

He explained that while many worshippers fled into nearby bushes, some were intercepted by the attackers outside the church premises.

“Some people were caught outside, while small children who did not run were met inside the church. The attackers came on motorcycles, shooting at people, especially the elderly who could not escape,” he added.

The official said the attackers also pursued fleeing residents and abducted a number of them, but the situation changed following the arrival of troops.

“We contacted security immediately, and within about 25 minutes, soldiers arrived. Their quick response changed everything. People who had hidden in the bush began to come out when they realised it was the military,” he said.

He noted that before the arrival of troops, many residents had assumed that all those taken had been abducted, but the intervention helped in accounting for several missing persons who had fled and taken cover.

“Initially, we thought they had taken many people, but when the soldiers came and we started calling out to those hiding, some came back. That was when we began to understand how many were actually taken,” he said.

The church official further stated that the troops assisted in evacuating the dead and stabilising the situation.

“They told us to gather the corpses in one place. After documenting the scene, they assured us that reinforcements would come. Later, more security personnel arrived,” he said.

Another eyewitness, who was among the early callers that alerted security agencies, corroborated the account, stating that the attackers stormed the area in groups, firing shots and chasing worshippers.

“They came in groups, some on motorcycles, shooting and chasing people. Some were killed, while others were taken away. But the quick arrival of the soldiers helped to prevent further escalation,” he said.

Church authorities acknowledged that while some persons were still unaccounted for, the intervention of troops led to the rescue of several individuals who had either been trapped or had fled into hiding.

They emphasised that reports claiming that no rescue took place did not fully reflect the situation on ground, noting that the military’s prompt response helped to minimise casualties and confusion.

The management also called for accurate reporting of the incident, stressing that conflicting narratives could create unnecessary panic and undermine ongoing efforts to secure the safe return of those still in captivity.

Security agencies have yet to issue a detailed official breakdown of the number of rescued and abducted persons, but assured that efforts were ongoing to track down the perpetrators and rescue the remaining victims.

Residents of the community have urged continued security presence in the area to prevent further attacks and restore confidence among worshippers and locals.