Easter Sunday Kidnapping: Christian Victims Mark Over 100 Days in Captivity as Families Plead for Government Action.
Families and activists question why authorities have not secured the release of 37 worshippers abducted from Kaduna churches while other rescue operations were carried out swiftly.
It has been more than 100 days since armed bandits stormed Ariko village in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, killing several worshippers and abducting 37 others, mostly women and children from three churches.
For the victims, the past three months have been a nightmare. They have worn the same clothes they had on when they were taken, slept on bare ground, been drenched by rain and baked by the sun. Many have gone weeks without bathing. Their heads are crawling with lice, and their skin is covered in insect bites . Some have gone days without food, fallen seriously ill, and witnessed terrible things no person should ever have to see.
A community leader and former spokesman to the late Kaduna State Governor, Reuben Buhari, has been speaking publicly about the plight of the victims despite facing criticism. He described the conditions they are enduring in captivity in an appeal marking the 100-day milestone.
“For 100 days, they have worn the same clothes they had on when they were taken. They sleep on bare dirt. When it rains, they get drenched. When the sun comes out, it bakes them dry again,” Buhari said.
Activists and community members are asking why the government has not been able to secure the release of these victims, especially when authorities were quick to secure the freedom of school children and teachers abducted in Oyo State.
The rescue of 44 pupils and teachers from Oyo State after 56 days in captivity has sparked fresh pressure on the Federal Government and security agencies to launch similar operations to free those still being held in Kaduna and other states .
Toktok9ja Media gathered that the Village Head of Ariko, Joshua Doka, told newsmen that the community had not received any recent update from the Kaduna State Government regarding efforts to secure the victims’ release. He said the kidnappers are still demanding N1 billion and 35 motorcycles and have refused to reduce the ransom despite all appeals.
According to Doka, all communication with the victims has been through the kidnappers. “We are pleading with the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Government and the security agencies to rescue our people before more lives are lost,” he said.’
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In June, the abductees recorded a video from captivity to deny reports that they had been freed after an alleged ransom payment of N1 billion and 30 Honda motorcycles . In the video, one of the victims told the kidnappers that the reports were false and that they were still suffering in the bush.
“They lied by saying that we had been rescued, that people came, negotiated, secured our release, and freed us from the hands of the bandits. But here we are, still in the bush,” a victim said in the video.
The Southern Kaduna Journalists Forum has called on the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the worshippers, describing the security situation in parts of Southern Kaduna as alarming and unacceptable .
The Arewa Consultative Forum and Northern Elders Forum have also urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the release of all Nigerians still in captivity across the country, saying the successful rescue in Oyo should mark the beginning of a sustained nationwide campaign against kidnappers .
A source from the community told newsmen that families of the victims have received little support from authorities while kidnappers continue to demand ransom. Residents have become reluctant to speak publicly about the plight of the captives, alleging that those who raise the issue are often branded enemies and face intimidation instead of receiving support.
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