Overview
- Police now confirm that more than 160 Christians were seized during Sunday services in the village of Kurmi Wali after initially dismissing the reports as fabricated.
- Local residents and the Christian Association of Nigeria report 177 abducted worshippers, with 11 said to have escaped and 166 still held.
- Witnesses describe gunmen arriving on motorcycles, firing at three churches, and later calling the village to demand 17 motorcycles, with residents expecting ransom demands.
- Community members and advocates say officials pressured them to stay quiet, threatened penalties for alleged false reporting, and blocked access to investigators.
- The attack intensifies international scrutiny as U.S.-Nigerian airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump in December targeted Islamist militants, while Germany’s religious-freedom envoy urges Nigeria to protect all citizens.