Bandits Contact Family Member Of Abducted Worshippers In Kaduna

Families of worshippers abducted during a recent church attack in Kaduna State said the kidnappers have established contact but are yet to demand ransom, heightening anxiety over the victims’ fate.

Recall that on Easter Sunday, terrorists launched an attack on St. Augustine Catholic Church, Baptist Church and ECWA Church in Ariko community in Kachia Local Government area of Kaduna State.

A relative of one of the abductees, Ephraim John, told LEADERSHIP that the assailants reached out shortly after the incident using the phone of one of those taken.

“They called one of my cousins yesterday. His father is among those kidnapped. They used his father’s phone and asked if he knew the owner. He said yes, that he is his father”.

John added that the callers identified themselves as kidnappers and told the family they were still moving the victims to an undisclosed location.

“They said they had taken him and were on their way to their destination. They told him they would call again when they arrived”.

He, however, noted that since the initial contact, there had been no further communication from the abductors and no ransom has been demanded.

John said, “As of now, they have not called again and have not asked for any ransom. Our people are worried”.

The attack, which occurred during a church service, is the latest in a string of violent incidents in Kaduna State and across the North-West, where banditry and mass abductions persist despite ongoing security operations.

Residents said the silence from the kidnappers has deepened fears among affected families, who remain uncertain about the condition and whereabouts of their loved ones.