The Nigeria Police Force has denied reports suggesting that there is an inconsistency in police communication regarding a recent abduction incident in Kaduna State.

Reports of the abduction in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, emerged on Sunday, with over 100 worshippers said to have been taken during the attack.

Although the police initially denied the attack, the authorities later reversed their position, admitting that the incident “did occur” and that many people were kidnapped.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said there is no discrepancy in the communication made available to the public.

He said as soon as the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, got wind of the report, he deployed operatives to the scene of the attack.

“There is no inconsistency from the statement coming from the police,” Hundeyin stated.

“The (Kaduna State) Commissioner of Police said when we received the information and immediately, we mobilised there and we are yet to get any evidence as this happened.

“The moment we got evidence, we also came out to say that we have gotten evidence. So there is no inconsistency.”

He disclosed that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of police helicopters for air surveillance.

The IGP also deployed additional operational and intelligence assets to the area.

The police said the response includes the deployment of tactical units, intensified patrols, and targeted search-and-rescue operations.

The police appealed to the public and the media to rely on official communications for verified information, warning that sensational reporting could “jeopardise ongoing operations or heighten public anxiety.”

CAN Demands Rescue

Earlier, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) criticised security agencies over their response to the abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community.

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 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. (Channels News)

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