US Government Threatens Full Military Intervention Following Abduction of 163 Worshippers in Kaduna State.
The United States government has issued one of its strongest warnings yet to Nigeria, stating it is prepared to intervene with military force if the wave of kidnappings targeting Christian communities is not stopped.
This severe warning comes directly after one of the largest mass abductions in recent months. On the morning of Sunday, January 18, 2026, armed men attacked three churches during worship services in the Kurmin Wali community, Kaduna State.
According to survivors and local leaders, a large group of gunmen, often called “bandits,” surrounded the churches. They blocked doors, fired shots into the air, and then marched over 170 congregants into the nearby forests. While some managed to escape or were later released by the captors—including several elderly or disabled individuals—at least 163 people remain missing.
The targeted churches were the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and two branches of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. One elderly escapee, a 60-year-old man, described being struck with a rifle before he found a chance to hide and crawl back to safety.
In a move that caused public anger, the Kaduna State government and police initially denied the kidnappings had even happened. Officials challenged journalists and community leaders to prove the incident by providing a list of victims. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) did exactly that, publishing a detailed register of the missing. Only then, two days later, did the national police confirm the abduction and announce that more forces were being sent to the area to help with search efforts.
READ: Groom-to-Be Stabbed to Death Days Before His Wedding in Ebonyi State
This mass kidnapping is not an isolated event. It is part of a brutal pattern of abductions for ransom that has turned into a major criminal industry in northern Nigeria. Security analysts estimate that the ransom demand for the 163 hostages could exceed 1.6 billion Naira (about $1.65 million). These attacks continue despite a state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu last year and even after recent airstrikes on militant camps, some reportedly assisted by U.S. intelligence.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, the U.S. government has now moved beyond statements of concern. Following meetings with Nigerian security agencies about the Kaduna incident, American officials delivered a clear message: Nigeria must do more to protect its citizens, specifically pointing to Christian communities they believe are being systematically targeted. If not, the U.S. is prepared to take matters into its own hands with a full military deployment to hunt down the groups responsible.
For the families in Kurmin Wali, the wait for news is agonizing. For the nation, this latest abduction and the unprecedented American threat signal a security crisis that is spiraling further out of control.
US Government Threatens Full Military Intervention Following Abduction of 163 Worshippers in Kaduna State.
Discover more from TOKTOK9JA MEDIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
