Police

  A former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and Human rights lawyer, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has criticised the Kaduna State Police Command over its denial of the reported abduction of worshippers from churches in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. Odinkalu questioned the motive behind what he described as an attempt by the police to suppress facts surrounding the incident. Odinkalu reacted on Tuesday via his verified X account after the police dismissed reports that dozens of worshippers were kidnapped during Sunday services in parts of Kaduna State. He reacted on Tuesday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account after the police dismissed reports that dozens of worshippers were kidnapped during Sunday church services in parts of Kaduna State, describing the claims as false and capable of causing panic. Sharing video clips purportedly from the affected churches, Odinkalu wrote, “The #policeNG alone know whose & what script they are acting out in claiming to deny the #MassAbduction last Sunday of the #Kajuru177. “Kaduna State CP, Muhammad Rabiu, has been to the community with his folks. He has seen the affected places of worship & personally spoken to survivors.” Odinkalu alleged that the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, may be under pressure to downplay the incident. The videos showed overturned chairs and disrupted church interiors, which he said were evidence from places of worship visited by security officials. According to him, survivors were spoken to during the visit to the affected communities. “I suspect the CP may fear that if he says truthfully what he saw, his paymasters.. will come for his job. But #FactsAreStubborn.” The controversy follows earlier claims by the Christian Association of Nigeria in Northern Nigeria that armed men stormed churches in Kajuru on Sunday and abducted worshippers. Rev. Joseph Hayab, chairman of CAN in the North, alleged that the attackers “came in numbers and blocked the entrance of the churches and forced the worshippers out into the bush.” However, the Kaduna State Police Command, in a joint statement with local government authorities on Monday, dismissed the claims as “mere falsehood being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos.” The chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Dauda Madaki, said security operatives were deployed to Kurmin Wali following the reports but found no evidence of an attack. “I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack,” Madaki said. Police also quoted the state commissioner for internal security and home affairs as saying that religious leaders who visited the area confirmed that the information circulating was false. However, the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday night confirmed that an abduction incident did occur at Kurmin Wali, a remote community in Kajuru LGA, following initial uncertainty surrounding the reports. In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Force spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police received reports of the abduction, which generated widespread concern among residents and the general public. According to him, the development prompted the Kaduna State Governor to convene a meeting of the State Security Council at the Government House, Kaduna. Hundeyin explained that confusion arose during the meeting when some individuals from the affected local government area disputed the report earlier confirmed by the police, describing it as false. He said the conflicting accounts necessitated caution and further verification before making definitive public statements, adding that comments made by the Kaduna Commissioner of Police were intended to prevent unnecessary panic and not to deny the incident.