Failed cover-up of Kaduna abduction shameful, condemnable- PDP

Says ‘denial shows APC treats insecurity with levity’

Asks Kaduna Police command, Kajuru LGA chairman to apologise to Nigerians

.CAN condemns Police communication over worshippers’ abduction, calls for rescue of victims

Emeka Agu with agency reports

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the initial denial of the abduction of residents in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state by the Police as “shameful and condemnable”.

Recall that on Sunday, suspected bandits attacked three churches in the community and whisked away over 100 worshippers attending church service.

However, the Kaduna police command on Monday dismissed the reports as falsehood spread by “conflict entrepreneurs” seeking to disrupt the state’s relative peace.

The state’s commissioner of police, Muhammad Rabiu, even challenged those spreading the reports to provide names and details of the victims, insisting that there was no record of such abductions.

Following police denial, the Christian Solidarity Worldwide–Nigeria (CSW-N), a human rights group, said the abductions took place, adding that security operatives obstructed efforts to independently verify the incident.

On Tuesday, Benjamin Hundeyin, public relations officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), confirmed the abduction, saying tactical and intelligence assets have been deployed to rescue the victims.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday, PDP spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, said the federal government’s silence and the “outright denial” of the abduction by the Kaduna police command and Kajuru LGA chairman is a “dangerous pattern recurrent in the course of this administration’s normalisation of insecurity and a deliberate attempt to obscure the truth from Nigerians”.

“These denials are deeply hurtful, not only because they are evidently false, but because they reveal the manifest levity with which this administration treats serious matters like security.

“What makes this even more painful is that, according to the villagers, the police were immediately alerted when the kidnapping occurred. They had the opportunity to act. Instead, they chose denial, prioritising the government’s image over the lives of 163 Nigerians.

“This act of public betrayal and failed cover-up is most shameful and condemnable,” the statement reads.

The PDP spokesperson asked the Kaduna police command and the Kajuru LGA chairman to apologise to Nigerians for the denial.

He also urged the federal government to immediately deploy a high-powered security team to trace, rescue, and safely return these kidnapped Nigerians to their homes and families.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticised security agencies over their response to the recent abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN expressed concern over what it described as poor public communication by the security agencies.

The association said the early response lacked sensitivity and thoroughness, noting that dismissing reports of the incident before proper verification caused confusion and further eroded public confidence in the authorities.

CAN’s reaction followed hours after the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officially acknowledged the kidnapping.

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, Hundeyin said intelligence and operational findings had verified the incident.

He explained that the earlier position of the Kaduna State Police Command was aimed at preventing panic while investigations were ongoing and facts were being established.

Reacting to the police confirmation, CAN acknowledged the challenges security agencies often face in verifying incidents, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.

However, the association stressed that such challenges do not justify shortcomings in the handling of sensitive information.

CAN said it was disturbed by the early dismissal of reports about the abduction before a comprehensive verification was carried out, describing the approach as inappropriate given the gravity of the incident.

 “The initial public dismissal of reports about this incident, before thorough verification, was deeply troubling.

“It generated confusion, heightened fear, and unfairly questioned the credibility of nearly 170 worshippers, their families, clergy, and eyewitnesses who raised the alarm,” the statement said.

It added that, “In situations of this gravity, public communication must not appear dismissive of the suffering or fears of affected citizens.

“While the need to prevent panic is understandable, caution must not be communicated in ways that suggest denial or indifference.”

The association emphasized that statements from senior security officials carry immense weight and must be delivered with care, accuracy, empathy, and a clear understanding of their effects on public trust and social stability, particularly in situations involving threats to human life.

CAN acknowledged the subsequent confirmation of the abduction and commended the Inspector-General of Police for deploying operational and intelligence resources to the affected area, describing the action as both necessary and welcome.

However, the association stressed that such measures should be accompanied by a more disciplined and people-focused approach to crisis communication in the future.

It urged all security agencies and relevant authorities to strengthen coordination, improve verification procedures, and ensure that credible community reports are treated with the seriousness they deserve.

“Victims must be protected, genuine distress calls respected, and misinformation, whether dismissive or sensational, must be avoided,” CAN stated.

The association also called on governments at all levels to tackle the persistent insecurity across the country with renewed urgency, warning that recurring attacks continue to threaten lives, disrupt worship, and undermine public confidence.

CAN appealed for the immediate and unconditional release of all those abducted, praying for their safe and unharmed return.

It urged security agencies to intensify every possible effort, operational, intelligence, and diplomatic, to ensure a swift rescue, stressing that the protection of innocent lives must remain the highest priority.