Food Relief to Persecuted Christians, Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA, Kaduna State - February 2026

177 Christians Kidnapped from Three Churches

On Sunday, 18th January 2026, many Nigerians awoke to a deepening nightmare in the Middle Belt: 177 Christians were taken hostage on a Sunday morning. Abducted from three different congregations, the victims included members of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and two Cherubim and Seraphim Church assemblies. The residents of Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA) came to a grim realisation: the mass abduction of Christians had taken on a darker, more terrifying dimension.

The police and government officials initially denied the abduction, contradicting the traumatised community. In the meantime, the kidnapped Christians were forced to trek for five (5) days in sweltering heat before reaching the terrorists' hideout. The hostages were starved, fatigued and exposed to the elements. Not content with their suffering, the terrorists proceeded to abuse the victims, physically and otherwise.

In the following days, some elderly hostages and children were released. The rest of the Christians awaited an uncertain fate; reports of terrorists murdering hostages are all too familiar in Kaduna. Eventually, the government commenced negotiations. To the consternation of many, the outcome of the talks included ransoms and the provision of motorcycles for the terrorists.

On 5th February 2026, the remaining abductees were released and conveyed by the State Government to the Government House. Fortunately, no one died during the harrowing experience.

After the release of the abductees, Lay Faithful Trust Foundation visited Kurmin Wali with food in a demonstration of Christian empathy for the brethren. Despite their trauma, the community expressed deep gratitude for the brotherly love and thanked all the donors who made the food relief possible.