The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, has dismissed reports claiming that over 100 worshippers were kidnapped in Kajuru Local Government Area as false and misleading.
Speaking to journalists on Monday after a State Security Council meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the police commissioner described the report as a fabrication being circulated by individuals he referred to as “conflict entrepreneurs” bent on causing panic and destabilising the state.
Conflicting reports had earlier suggested that bandits abducted more than 100 people during a church service at Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru on Sunday. However, Rabiu challenged those spreading the claim to provide concrete details, including the names and identities of the alleged victims.
He warned rumour mongers to desist from spreading unverified information, stressing that anyone found deliberately circulating falsehoods would face the full weight of the law. According to him, such actions threaten the peace and security Kaduna State has been working hard to maintain.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Dauda Madaki, confirmed that investigations carried out by local authorities and security agencies found no evidence of any attack.
Madaki said he immediately mobilised security personnel to Kurmin Wali after hearing the rumour but discovered that the alleged incident never took place. He explained that checks at the church and consultations with community leaders, including the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, showed that no worshippers were attacked or abducted.
He added that the youth leader of the area, Bernard Bona, also confirmed during an on-the-spot interview that no such incident occurred.
“I have repeatedly asked those making these claims to provide the names of the alleged victims, but no one has come forward,” Madaki said. “This rumour appears to be sponsored by individuals who are uncomfortable with the relative peace Kajuru has enjoyed under the current administration.”
The chairman urged residents to remain calm and continue their lawful activities, advising them to report any suspicious movements or individuals spreading false information to security agencies.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu (SAN), said religious leaders, including the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), had also engaged with residents in the affected area.
According to him, their findings confirmed that the widely circulated kidnap report was entirely false. He reiterated that the Kaduna State Government has zero tolerance for criminal activities and misinformation capable of inciting fear or unrest
Kaduna Police Dismiss Report of Mass Kidnap in Kajuru as False Alarm
