ADC Flays Attempts To Cover Up Abduction Of 177 Worshippers

…Abductors Demand 17 Bikes To Free Captives

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the initial attempts by the Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to cover up the mass abduction of
worshippers in the state.

The bandits had on, Sunday abducted 177 worshippers from Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru local government area of the state.

The abductors are demanding the return of 17 motorcycles which they claimed to have lost during recent troop bombardment of their hideouts.

The Village Head of Kurmin Wali, Mr Ishaku Dan’azumi, who made the disclosure on Wednesday, said the bandits contacted a negotiator acting on behalf of the community and insisted that the missing motorcycles must be returned before the captives could be released.

According to Dan’azumi, the abducted worshippers were taken from Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1 and 2, as well as a branch of ECWA Church.

The Kaduna State government and the state’s police command had initially denied the abductions, but later admitted when reports of the incident went viral across the social media.

Reacting to the development, the ADC described the cover-up attempt as part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government’s preoccupation with hiding the truth in order to look good.

In a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC also criticised the Federal Government’s silence on the latest abduction, describing it as a sign of fatigue.

The party expressed grave concern over the cover-up attempt, saying it raises a fundamental and dangerous question for the country.

“Can a government whose first instinct is to withhold information and hide the truth be trusted to protect lives and improve security?

“The deliberate denial of a verified mass abduction is not a communications error. It is the behaviour of a government obsessed with looking good rather than solving problems.

“In moments of violence and emergency, truth is the first line of defence. It guides response, enables rescue, mobilises communities, and reassures a frightened public.

“However, when a government chooses silence or falsehood, it compounds danger, delays action, and deepens trauma. A government that lies during a security crisis does not merely fail its people; it actively places them at further risk,” the ADC said.

The party also condemned how the state government and the police prevented journalists, civil society actors, and independent observers from accessing the affected communities, wondering what exactly the government was attempting to hide.

Continuing, the ADC said, “A government committed to solving problems in a time of crisis asks for information, not suppresses it. When official institutions dismiss verified accounts from families, community leaders, and religious bodies as falsehoods, they erode the very trust upon which effective security depends.

“This incident has also exposed serious contradictions in the so-called Kaduna peace approach. While the government moved swiftly to deny a major kidnapping in order to preserve a public image of peace and security, senior officials have openly acknowledged negotiations and concessions to bandits and criminal elements.

“This approach may grant immediate wins, but it is not sustainable; it is a dangerous gamble that rewards criminality while leaving law-abiding citizens vulnerable to further attacks.”

The party also condemned the Federal Government’s silence on the worshippers’ abduction, saying silence does not only suggest a lack of empathy, but also indicates a government that is frustrated and has therefore chosen denial and silence.

“But silence by the Federal Government is not a strategy. It only reveals a government irritated that the public image it seeks to sell is being undermined by the reality of persistent insecurity in the country,” it added.

The ADC called for immediate and transparent rescue efforts for all abducted persons in Kurmin Wali and across Kaduna State. It also demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the initial denial of the abduction, including the role of all security and government officials involved in disseminating false information.

It also called for lifting of restrictions on journalists and civil society organisations seeking access to conflict-affected areas in the state.

The party called on the Kaduna State government to make full disclosure of any agreements, negotiations, or arrangements entered into with armed groups, including their legal basis, terms, and oversight mechanisms.

“No Nigerian should ever have to beg their government to acknowledge their suffering. No family should be forced to prove that their loved ones have been taken by violence before the state will act.

“The ADC stands with the people of Kaduna State and with all Nigerians who believe that leadership begins with honesty, that authority carries responsibility, and that the first duty of government is to protect life, dignity, and truth.”