At least 160 members of the Evangelical Church Winning All are currently being held captive across Kaduna and Kogi states, with families struggling to meet crippling ransom demands, the Church’s leadership has disclosed.
The revelation comes as ECWA raised alarms over the escalating insecurity in Nigeria, following the recent abduction of worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
In a statement, ECWA President Rev. Job Bagat revealed, “About 100 members from the Kwassam District Church Council, 30 from the Saminaka District Church Council in Kaduna State, and another 30 from the Kabba District Church Council in Kogi State were already being held by kidnappers before the latest incident in Kajuru.”
Describing the situation as deeply distressing, ECWA warned that it reflects the growing threat confronting communities nationwide.
The Church expressed profound concern over what it called persistent and targeted attacks on Christian communities, clergy, and ordinary citizens, emphasizing that such acts are a direct assault on constitutional rights to life, worship, and security.
The statement stressed, “ECWA pastors, church workers and members in several states have suffered killings, abductions, displacement and destruction of livelihoods, leaving many communities traumatised and abandoned.”
ECWA specifically condemned the January 18, 2026, abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area, calling it “sacrilegious and barbaric. The armed invasion of churches during worship, which was confirmed by the Nigeria Police Force, is sacrilegious and barbaric, further deepening fear and national anguish.”
Rev. Bagat noted that the Kajuru attack fits a broader pattern of violence threatening multiple ECWA District Church Councils, including Katari and Gidan Waya in Kaduna State; Katsina South in Katsina State; Patigi, Omu-Aran, and Ora-Ago in Kwara State; Kabba District in Kogi State; Gwol and Mangu in Plateau State; and Shiroro in Niger State.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s renewed efforts and the eventual deployment of security personnel to Kajuru, ECWA expressed concern over delayed responses, warning that such lapses waste valuable time and embolden criminal networks.
The Church stressed that security measures must be proactive, intelligence-driven, sustained, and preventive, particularly in vulnerable rural areas.
ECWA called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to strengthen intelligence gathering and early-warning systems, ensure swift and effective responses to threats, transparently prosecute perpetrators and their sponsors, and provide adequate protection for places of worship and other soft targets.
The Church also urged traditional rulers, community leaders, and citizens to promote unity, shared vigilance, and peaceful coexistence, reaffirming its solidarity with all victims of insecurity and its commitment to prayer, peacebuilding, advocacy, and practical support for affected communities.
