KADUNA, — Suspected bandits have abducted six residents of Unguwar Barkono, Mararaban Kajuru (Kufana Ward) in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, barely hours after the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held a special prayer session for the safe return of 177 worshippers seized during coordinated attacks on churches in the area.
Residents said the latest raid took place late Saturday night, with gunmen breaking into multiple homes and forcefully taking victims to an unknown location. A community member, Steven Kefas, said the attack occurred at about 1:00 a.m., stressing that the incident happened “in the heart of Kajuru,” not in a remote settlement.
CAN’s Kajuru chairman, Rev. Enoch Kaura, also confirmed the abduction but gave a slightly different timeline, saying the assailants struck around 11:00 p.m. and escaped with six residents after neighbours raised the alarm. Police and local officials have not, as of publication time, issued a separate public breakdown reconciling the timing.
The incident comes as Kajuru remains on edge following last week’s mass abduction in Kurmin Wali, where gunmen attacked services at three churches and initially left 177 people unaccounted for. Subsequent reporting cited officials and community sources saying 11 people escaped, leaving 168 still missing.
On Sunday, CAN held a prayer session at Tawaliu Baptist Church in Mararaban Kajuru for the abducted worshippers. The gathering drew clergy from multiple denominations, including Kaduna State CAN chairman Rev. Caleb Bawa Ma’aji, as well as CAN’s chairman for the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Rev. Joseph John Hayab.
At the service, Hayab urged churches to tighten internal security, warning that unrestricted access to worship premises increases vulnerability to attacks. Rev. Kaura condemned the renewed abductions, criticised what he described as earlier government “denial” of incidents, and called for intensified security operations across Kajuru to prevent further raids and secure the release of all abductees.
As security searches continue, community leaders say the recurrence of attacks so soon after the church kidnappings underscores the urgency of sustained patrols, rapid-response capability, and stronger intelligence coverage across Kajuru’s residential corridors.
