The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says it is committed to securing the safe rescue of abducted residents of Kurmin Wali in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State by deploying necessary assets.
According to NAN, Michael Onoja, director of defence media operations, said the military had taken note of concerns raised by affected communities and reaffirmed that the rescue of all kidnapped victims remains a priority.
The defence spokesperson said the military, working in coordination with other security agencies, has continued intelligence-driven operations in Kurmin Wali and adjoining forest areas believed to harbour the kidnappers.
He said the operations include ground patrols, surveillance missions, intelligence gathering and carefully targeted actions aimed at rescuing the captives without putting their lives at risk.
The military spokesman said the restraint shown during some operations is deliberate, adding that such caution is intended to avoid unintended harm to the hostages.
He said efforts are ongoing to dismantle the criminal networks responsible for the abductions in the area.
Gunmen had on Sunday attacked three churches in Kurmin Wali, and whisked away about 167 worshippers.
However, on Monday, the Kaduna police command dismissed the report as falsehood from “conflict entrepreneurs” seeking to “disrupt the state’s relative peace”.
But on Tuesday, Benjamin Hundeyin, public relations officer of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), confirmed the abduction.
He said comments made by the Kaduna commissioner of police were aimed at preventing panic while verification was ongoing — and were not intended to deny the incident.
The controversy has drawn criticism from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and opposition political parties.
