Kaduna: Group demands apology from police over ‘deliberate denial’ of church abductions

Kaduna map

The Adara Development Association (ADA) has asked Muhammad Rabiu, commissioner of police in Kaduna state, and Dauda Madaki, chairman of Kajuru LGA, to apologise to the Adara people over their “deliberate suppression of facts” on the abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community.

The demand follows confirmation by the Nigeria Police Force that gunmen abducted more than 100 people during attacks on churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA, on Sunday.

Rabiu and Madaki had, during a press conference at the Government House in Kaduna on Monday, denied that any abduction occurred.

They noted that reports about church abduction in the community were “mere falsehoods being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs” and challenged those making the claims to produce the names of the victims.

However, their position was contradicted on Tuesday when Benjamin Hundeyin, force public relations officer, confirmed the abduction in a statement, adding that Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police, had deployed tactical units and intensified patrols to rescue the victims.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Sebastine Barde, president of ADA, accused the police commissioner and the council chairman of deliberately misleading the public despite receiving information from residents of the affected community.

“Rather than acknowledge the gravity of the situation, both the commissioner of police and the local government chairman publicly dismissed the incident, describing verified reports as rumours allegedly propagated by so-called conflict entrepreneurs,” the statement reads.

He also faulted Madaki, an indigene of the area, for allegedly aligning with efforts to downplay the attack. Thecable